When we think of Auguste Renoir, it’s often his small, quick, luminous brushstrokes that come to mind: how he rendered the scattering of light over fabric and flesh. This exhibition at the Morgan argues that Renoir’s draughtsmanship is one of his more underrated talents (17 October–8 February 2026). The works on paper make clear that his rounded, somewhat blocky figures were carefully conceived, and that working with ink on paper rather than oil on canvas did not impede his ability to capture the workings of light itself. Though drawings are the focus, there are also watercolours, prints, a plaster sculpture of The Judgement of Paris made in 1914 – five years before he died – and paintings, most notably The Great Bathers (1886–87), on loan from the Philadelphia Art Museum. The show will travel to the Musée d’Orsay in the spring.
Find out more from the Morgan’s website.
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