Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner is an important lithograph created by the celebrated French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1900. This fine print, executed near the turn of the century (c. 1900), reveals Renoir's significant experimentation outside the Impressionist oil painting tradition for which he is most known. Utilizing the planar capabilities of lithography, the artist captured the powerful intellectual spirit of the German composer, Richard Wagner (1813-1883).

The composition uses stark contrasts to convey depth, relying on the greasy crayon applied to the stone surface to achieve subtle gradations of shadow and tone. Renoir successfully translates the composer’s intense focus into the black-and-white medium, moving beyond his usual preoccupation with capturing light and fleeting color. Although Wagner had died decades earlier, his powerful influence on French intellectual and artistic circles at the time remained profound. Renoir’s choice of subject reflects the widespread European cultural fascination with the operatic master's revolutionary oeuvre.

This piece, classified as a print, offers a valuable glimpse into Renoir’s technical range in the graphic arts. Unlike his genre scenes or nudes, the portrait of Richard Wagner emphasizes precise modeling and line quality, making it a compelling document of the artist's versatility. The survival of these original prints allows for broader access to the work today. As an historic image, the lithograph is frequently encountered in the public domain, ensuring that this unique aspect of Renoir’s production is widely studied and appreciated. This work is formally held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).