Renoir and Love: Impressionism's Tender Heart in London

If Monet chased light, Pierre-Auguste Renoir chased joy. The National Gallery's autumn 2026 exhibition, 'Renoir and Love', explores how the Impressionist turned flirtation, friendship and the simple pleasures of company into radiant, sun-dappled paintings.

From dances and riverside lunches to tender portraits of couples, Renoir filled his canvases with warmth, colour and human closeness — an art of happiness in a fast-changing modern Paris.

It's a show that makes the case for Renoir as the great painter of togetherness, and a welcome shot of warmth for the London autumn.

Image: “Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Luncheon of the Boating Party - Google Art Project” — Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.