The Meeting 1883

Editor: This is Pierre-Auguste Renoir's "The Meeting," a drawing housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels like a fleeting moment, a snapshot of Parisian life. What can you tell me about its context? Curator: Consider the public sphere of 19th-century Paris. Renoir captures a seemingly casual encounter. Do you think this meeting is truly spontaneous, or does it reflect the social rituals and power dynamics of the time? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. It could be a carefully orchestrated encounter, then? Curator: Precisely. How does Renoir’s choice to depict this scene in a public park shape its meaning? The park itself was a constructed space, intended for leisure but also for social display. Editor: That adds a new layer to my understanding. It's not just a drawing of two people, but a comment on society. Curator: Exactly. The drawing invites us to consider the politics embedded in these everyday encounters. Editor: Thanks! I’ll never look at a Renoir the same way again.