Jean Renoir, director

Accession Number
1977/1.159

Title
Jean Renoir, director

Artist(s)
Richard Avedon

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1972; printed 1975

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
16 9/16 in x 15 7/8 in (42.07 cm x 40.32 cm);28 in x 22 in (71.12 cm x 55.88 cm);15 3/4 in x 15 1/4 in (40.01 cm x 38.74 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
This is a portrait of Jean Renoir, the French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. He was also the son of the painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. 
This portrait is representative of Avedon's approach to studio portraiture, which employed flat light and a white background in an isolated environment. Avedon's approach revealed every vivid detail of the sitter's face. Renoir gazes beyond the frame with lips pursed, appearing at once contemplative and subdued. Avedon stated that each sitter puts on a performance before the camera while insisting that the photographs are fictions created by the photographer. 

Physical Description
This photographic portrait of a man shows him in dark clothing, before a white background. The composition is cropped at the shoulders.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Figures
Portraits
film directors
head
male
males
modern and contemporary art
portraits
studio portraits

6 Related Resources

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(Part of 3 Learning Collections)
Photographic Portraiture 1970-1989
(Part of: Identity and Self-Understanding)
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(Part of 8 Learning Collections)
ORIGINAL - Medical Humanities
(Part of: Medicine and Art)
Jewish Photographers 
(Part of: Ethnicity and Race)

& Author Notes

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