A box at the theater (At the concert)

We present today's painting thanks to The Clark Institute. We continue the month with Pierre-Auguste Renoir's paintings from their collection! Enjoy and don't forget to tell your family and friends that DailyArt is available not only in English, but also in French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish! :)

Renoir made several paintings of spectators at theaters or concerts—a subject that explores the theme of seeing and being seen. Although the artist may have begun the painting as a portrait of specific individuals, he later reworked it to present two women whose identities and relationship are unknown. The subdued lighting and clearly defined forms suggest that Renoir was beginning to modify his experimental painting techniques by adopting a more traditional approach, as several critics noted when the work was first exhibited in 1882.

P.S. Here you can read about another painting of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Theatre Box.