Dance at Bougival by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Painted between 1882 and 1883, Dance at Bougival is one of the crowing achievements of Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s career. Dance at Bougival (1883) is painted in an open-air café, one of his favorite settings p this particular one being in suburban Bougival. Bougival situated just west of Paris on the Seine.

Dance at Bougival glows with a soft and earthy pastel color palette.

The dancing couple is awash in a sea of unsaturated hues; Kelly green, chartreuse, and mustard yellow brushstrokes mingle overhead with touches of baby blue and lavender, while streaks of tan and ochre scurry.

Renoir’s Dance a Bougival shows a couple engaged in a lively dance. The couple themselves, who is positioned in the foreground and dominate nearly three-quarters of the frame, stand out because of the color of their clothing. The background is painted with bold, diagonal strokes to suggest the spinning couple’s view of the scene.

The background of Dance at Bougival is typically Impressionist - with people seated at outdoor tables among the foliage of trees and bushes.
Dance at Bougival by Pierre-Auguste Renoir