When Columbus Museum of Art Board President Elect Ann Hoaglin asked Dr. Lee Szykowny if she would help support a ground-breaking show featuring women that impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir had painted, the Columbus psychiatrist immediately agreed.
"I'd never done anything like this before, but I thought it was a wonderful idea," says Szykowny, an art collector and one of 38 Central Ohio women who contributed money toward an exhibition that would not have been possible without financial help.
"Renoir is one of the greatest of the impressionists and he always depicted women in a manner that aroused strong emotions. Our historical role in making society work is so vital, and Renoir captured it," she says.
"Renoir's Women" features 37 works - 32 oil paintings, two lithographs, two sculptures and one pastel - that capture women in different areas of life from society portraits and domestic scenes to depictions of mothers, nudes and Parisian life.
The collection was assembled from 31 different museums, including eight from Europe, and is the first exhibit that focuses exclusively on Renoir's representation of women, his favorite subject. One of the oil paintings, "Seamstress at a Window," is coming from the New Orleans Museum of Art.
"Renoir's Women" was organized by internationally acclaimed curator and scholar Ann Dumas and the museum. It is first in a series of exhibitions inspired by works in the permanent collection of the Columbus Museum of Art that highlight American and European modern artists.
"Renoir's works are priceless and international exhibitions have become very expensive, partially because of insurance and fears of terrorism," says Dominique Vasseur, associate curator of European art at the museum. "There's also a reluctance on the part of museums to let major works travel."
"He depicts women in vivid colors. His women sometimes gaze directly at you. His lines are fluid, and he uses color and brush strokes to show the blurring of the boundaries for women," she says. "It's a strong parallel with what happens for women with their roles at work and at home."
"It's fortunate that Renoir thought the daily activities of women were worthy of his attention," says Szykowny. "Not all artists thought that way."
Szykowny, who owns original art work herself, including lithographs by George Bellows, says she hasn't met all of the women who are supporting the Renoir exhibit, but she is impressed with their efforts.
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