Investec is honoured to be the headline sponsor of the 'Renoir in Guernsey, 1883' exhibition
In September 1883, French impressionist Pierre-August Renoir visited the island of Guernsey. During that time, he executed 15 paintings, many of the surrounding area of Moulin Huet Bay. Renoir was fascinated by the crystal clear waters and the steep topography of the island, but also by the behaviour of the inhabitants who bathed freely in the rocks.
Art for Guernsey are curating a 10-week exhibition opening in October which will show nine Renoir paintings that were created in Guernsey. This exciting exhibition is the only one in the world in 2023. The exhibition is staged in partnership with the Guernsey Museums and the Musee des Impressionnismes Giverny, including a host of international loans.
Jane Niles, CEO of Investec Bank (Channel Islands) Limited said: "We are thrilled to support this incredible initiative for Guernsey. Hosting a world-class exhibition of works by a renowned artist like Renoir is a major achievement for the island. We extend our congratulations to Art for Guernsey for their entrepreneurial spirit and dedication, which aligns with our own culture at Investec."
There are other exhibitions and activities planned at the Priaulx Library, the Renoir Walk, and the Art for Guernsey gallery.
David Ummels, Founder of Art For Guernsey said: “The Renoir journey began when Art for Guernsey curated the Renoir Walk in 2019. When we invited Cyrille Sciama, Director of the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny and a world-renowned authority on Impressionism, to come to the island to inaugurate the walk, we were looking forward to being enlightened about the artist and his work. What we did not anticipate, however, was that Cyrille would make us aware of the profound influence that Renoir’s visit to Guernsey had on his career. The inspiration Renoir found on the island, and at Moulin Huet in particular, is not well documented. Renoir was coming close to the end of his Impressionist period and was looking for new ideas to move away from portraiture. He was captivated by the nude bathers he saw at Moulin Huet, especially at a time when people were bathing fully dressed in France. That brought him back to antiquity, the old masters and Watteau, and it is highly likely that his experience in Guernsey helped him to make the shift towards painting nudes in landscapes.”
The Renoir Walk is a permanent fixture in the Moulin Huet Valley and is a self-guided alfresco exhibition that allows people to see the bay from the same perspectives as Renoir did.
Cyrille Sciama, Director of the Musee des Impressionismes Giverny, said: “I am very pleased to curate this exhibition with our friends at Art for Guernsey and the Guernsey Museums. This common adventure is the result of a serendipitous meeting in 2019 about the Renoir Walk. I am very happy to see this dream of Renoir in Guernsey come true with a fantastic team. I am sure the works by Renoir will bring happiness to the people of Guernsey: it is such a joy to bring back the works to where they were painted!”
