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Revision as of 13:24, 5 June 2009
| Bal du moulin de la Galette, Montmartre | |
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| Artist | Pierre-Auguste Renoir |
| Year | 1876 |
| Type | Oil on canvas |
| Location | Musée d'Orsay, Paris |
Bal du moulin de la Galette, Montmartre (commonly known as Le moulin de la Galette) is an 1876 painting by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, and is one of Impressionism's most celebrated masterpieces. It depicts a typical Sunday afternoon at Moulin de la Galette in the district of Montmartre in Paris. In the late 19th century, working class Parisians would dress up and spend time here dancing, drinking, and eating galettes into the evening.
The painting, similar to works of Renoir's early maturity, is a typically Impressionist snapshot of real life, full of sparkling colour and light. Renoir's work is lighthearted with evanescent colors, and shows a richness of form, a fluidity of brush stroke, and a flickering light.
Renoir had painted the picture also in a smaller version (78 × 114 cm) with the same title. This is in a private collection.
Ownership history
- For the smaller version of painting; the larger version is in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
Owned by John Hay Whitney, on May 17, 1990, his widow sold the painting for US$78 million at Sotheby's in New York City to Ryoei Saito (Saitō Ryōei), the honorary chairman of Daishowa Paper Manufacturing Company, Japan.
At the time of sale, it was one of the top two most expensive artworks ever sold, together with van Gogh's Portrait of Dr. Gachet, which was also purchased by Saito. Saito caused international outrage when he suggested in 1991 that he intended to cremate both paintings with him when he died. However, when Saito and his companies ran into severe financial difficulties, bankers who held the painting as collateral for loans arranged a confidential sale through Sotheby's to an undisclosed buyer. Although not known for certain, the painting is believed to be in the hands of a Swiss collector.
As of June 2009 the Bal du moulin de la Galette is fifth (when adjusted for the consumer price index) on the list of most expensive paintings ever sold.
External links
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