Fulton Mall Public Art

La Grand Laveuse (Washer Woman)" - bronze by Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) - France

Pierre Auguste Renoir was among the most famous French impressionist painters, and together with his friend Claude Monet, painted some of the most acclaimed works of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Limoges, he attended Ecole de Beaux-Arts, and rose to prominence in the 1870's. His paintings such as Le Bal au Moulin de la Galette (which sold for $70 million in 1990) are instantally recognizable to even the most novice art lover.

However, towards the end of Renoir's life, he was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis, which limited his ability to use a brush. Undeterred, he continued to pursue his artistic vision and turned to sculpture, directing an assistant to work the clay at his direction. Fresno's La Grand Laveuse is one of only six original bronze castings of this work that exist. Only six original bronze castings of this work exist in the world, the other five can be found at Fontvieille Park, Monaco, the Tate Museum in London, the Philadelphia Art Museum and Washington University in St. Louis. Fresno's Washer Woman is the only one of the six that visitors are allowed to touch.

Location: Fulton Mall at Mariposa Mall