Focus on this artwork and explain the Significance and legacy.
Renoir repeatedly turned to the human body as a source of inspiration throughout his life. The body has been described as “the defining subject of Renoir’s artistic practice” and “the subject that most compellingly demonstrates how truly radical — and so often brilliant — he was”.Renoir's obsession with the female form continues to be a source of criticism and discussion. His nudes are often faulted for being a depiction of beauty for the sake of pleasure. The subjects portrayed have been described as having a lack of engagement, which has led to suggestions that they are objectified. His nude paintings have also been described as a form of escapism.Although his nudes remain controversial, Renoir was praised by his fellow artists, many of whom were greatly influenced by his work. Both Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso were great admirers and bought several of his paintings. In particular, Picasso created a number of Cubist works in honour of Renoir, such as Two Reclining Nudes, painted in 1968.
Cubist nude Henri Matisse objectified Pablo Picasso