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Guernsey Postage Stamps Record Renoir’s Visit
In 1893, Guernsey issued a set of postage stamps showcasing four of Renoir’s paintings and acknowledging the great love he had for their tiny island. Although born in Limoges, in Central France, he moved with his family to Paris early in life, fortunately settling near the Louvre. His parents recognized his ability with drawing and he was apprenticed to the Levy Brothers to learn the art of painting on porcelain.
Renoir soon came into contact with Monet, Bazille and Sisley, three men of his own age and tastes. The relationship kindled amongst the four was to result in a revolutionary new school of French painting to be known as ‘Impressionism’. The public could not comprehend the artists’ works – sometimes sketchy, slightly blurred products. The subject matter was not religious or historical but contemporary. It seems strange now that land, sea or city scapes – even rustic cottages – were considered outrageous themes for paintings.
Although classified with the Impressionists, Renoir was never as fanatical as some about this movement in art. His apprenticeship copying old Sevres onto porcelain and his meanderings amongst the Old Masters in Le Louvre had installed in him a love of these classic works and a feeling for solid forms and structured designs, which remained with him throughout his life.
The early 1880s saw important changes in Renoirs’s life and radically altered his views. He continued to enjoy the old Masters and began to gain recognition as a portrait painter. During this period, he developed a relationship with and enchanting model, Aline Charigot, whom he fell deeply in love with and later married. These changes were accepted as catalysts for the differences in style emerging in his paintings, which were now typified by humanity and emotions.
Renoir visited the Channel Islands in the late summer of 1883 and was impatient to reach Guernsey, the island which had been the home of the great poet Victor Hugo, for eighteen years. The artist was particularly enthralled with the scenes on the beaches. The 9 penny postage stamp showcased his painting ‘View at Guernsey’, the 13 penny duplicated his painting ‘Children on the Seashore’ and the 26 penny imaged his painting ‘Marine, Guernsey’. Each of these paintings reflected his affection for the colorful bay and head-land around the south-east corner of the island.
The 28 penny depiction of his painting ‘La Baie du Moulin Huet a travers Les Arbres’ and the 31 penny ‘Brouillard a Guernsey’ were reflections of the artist’s feelings for the northern and western sections of the island. The five stamps were released to celebrate the centenary of Renoir’s visit to Guernsey.
The impact that the island had on Renoir is reflected in the images on these postage stamps. Guernsey honoured and showcased his work about their island as a tribute to a great artist whose name will continue to draw attention from the art world for a long time to come.
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