Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France, on the 25th of February 1841. His father Léonard Renoir worked as a tailor with modest means. The family moved to Paris in 1844 seeking better prospects. They settled on rue d'Argenteuil near the center of the city. This location placed the young artist close to the Louvre museum galleries. Although he drew well, his true talent lay in singing. A teacher named Charles Gounod encouraged this musical gift at the Church of St Roch. Financial hardship forced him to stop music lessons and leave school at age thirteen. He began an apprenticeship at a porcelain factory instead. The factory owner noticed his artistic skill and told his family about it. Mechanical reproduction processes replaced hand-painting in 1858. Renoir needed new ways to support himself and his art studies. He painted hangings for overseas missionaries before entering formal training.
In April 1874, Renoir joined forces with Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, and others. They mounted the First Impressionist Exhibition together. Six paintings by Renoir appeared in that show. Critical response was largely unfavorable overall. His work received comparatively better reception than most peers. That same year two works were shown with Paul Durand-Ruel in London. He displayed mostly portraits at the second exhibition in 1876 hoping to secure commissions. The group presented diverse paintings during their third exhibition the following year. Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette appeared alongside The Swing. Renoir did not exhibit in the fourth or fifth shows. He resumed submitting works to the official Salon instead. Success arrived slowly due to turmoil from the Franco-Prussian War. Mme Charpentier and her Children won acclaim at the Salon of 1879. By the end of the 1870s he had become a fashionable painter. A ten-year friendship with Jules Le Cœur ended in 1874. This loss removed both valuable support and access to scenic forests near Fontainebleau.
Renoir traveled to Algeria in 1881 before heading to Madrid. There he studied Diego Velázquez's work. He then went to Italy to see Titian's masterpieces in Florence. Paintings by Raphael awaited him in Rome. On the 15th of January 1882, he met composer Richard Wagner in Palermo. Renoir painted Wagner's portrait in just thirty-five minutes. Pneumonia contracted that same year damaged his respiratory system permanently. He convalesced for six weeks in Algeria afterward. In 1883 summer found him on Guernsey island creating fifteen paintings quickly. Most featured Moulin Huet bay in Saint Martin's. These works later appeared on commemorative postage stamps issued in 1983. The trip convinced him he was on the wrong path artistically. He declared he could neither paint nor draw effectively anymore. For several years he adopted a more severe style attempting classicism. Blonde Bather from 1881 marked this distinct change following his Italian journey. He concentrated on drawing outlines while painting figures like The Large Bathers between 1884 and 1887. This period is sometimes called his Ingres period.
Around 1892 rheumatoid arthritis began developing within Pierre-Auguste Renoir. By 1907 he moved to Les Collettes farm near Cagnes-sur-Mer. The warmer climate offered relief from harsh northern winters. His hands developed progressive deformities over time. Ankylosis of his right shoulder severely limited mobility. He changed his painting technique repeatedly to adapt. Photographs show bandages wrapped around his hands preventing skin irritation. It is often reported that brushes were strapped to paralyzed fingers. This claim proves erroneous according to historical records. Renoir remained able to grasp a brush himself. An assistant placed it into his hand when needed. He used a moving canvas or picture roll for large works. During the last twenty years of life he continued producing art despite limitations. A portrait of Austrian actress Tilla Durieux appeared in 1914. Playful flecks of vibrant color offset her classical pose. He died in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the 3rd of December 1919 at age seventy-eight.
In 1890 he married dressmaker Aline Victorine Charigot who was twenty years younger. She had served as a model for Le Déjeuner des canotiers since 1881. They already had a child named Pierre born in 1885. After marriage he painted many scenes of daily family life. Their children and nurse Gabrielle Renard appeared frequently in his work. Three sons entered artistic careers themselves. Pierre Renoir became a stage and film actor living from 1885 to 1952. Jean Renoir became a noted filmmaker between 1894 and 1979. Claude Renoir worked as a ceramic artist until 1969. Suzanne Valadon posed for him while living in Montmartre. She studied techniques from fellow painters during that time. Eventually she became one of the leading painters of her day. Her relationship with Renoir produced a son named Maurice Utrillo. The great-grandson Alexandre Renoir also became a professional artist today. Beauty Remains exhibition opened at Monthaven Arts Center in Hendersonville Tennessee in 2018.
Renoir's paintings feature vibrant light and saturated color throughout. He focused most often on people within intimate compositions. Female nudes formed one of his primary subjects. A reviewer in Le Figaro criticized a woman's torso in 1876. He called it decomposing flesh with purplish green stains. Yet Impressionist style allowed figures softly to fuse surroundings freely. His early works show influence from Eugène Delacroix and Camille Corot. Gustave Courbet and Édouard Manet inspired his realism too. Black appeared frequently as a color choice initially. Edgar Degas influenced his sense of movement greatly. François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard were admired masters. Diana painted in 1867 demonstrates naturalistic studio work carefully observed. Lise Tréhot served as model for many early paintings. Through painting light outdoors he discovered shadow colors reflected surroundings. La Grenouillère from 1869 exists alongside Monet's version depicting same scene. Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette crowding people appears full of sparkling light. The single largest collection holds 181 paintings at Barnes Foundation Philadelphia.
A five-volume catalogue raisonné published by Bernheim-Jeune between 1983 and 2014 documented thousands of works. One supplement completed the set later. Wildenstein Institute prepared but never finished their critical catalog. Disagreement over an unsigned work centered Fake or Fortune episode four season two. Ambroise Vollard published La Vie et l'œuvre de Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1919. Edition contained only one thousand copies. Copper plates started reprinting in 1986 generally with hand applied watercolor. These prints bear signature within plate itself embossed Vollard lower margin. They lack numbering dating or pencil signatures. A small version of Bal du moulin de la Galette sold for $78.1 million on the 17th of May 1990. Sotheby's New York hosted that auction event. Paysage Bords de Seine offered for sale in 2012 turned out stolen from Baltimore Museum Art since 1951. Sale cancelled immediately upon discovery. Posthumous recognition continues strong globally today. His warm sensuality made paintings among most reproduced historically. An Alberta Symphony Orchestra tribute occurred the 7th of December 2019 at Triffo Theater Edmonton.
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Common questions
When and where was Pierre-Auguste Renoir born?
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France, on the 25th of February 1841. His family moved to Paris in 1844 seeking better prospects.
What major health condition affected Pierre-Auguste Renoir later in life?
Around 1892 rheumatoid arthritis began developing within Pierre-Auguste Renoir. By 1907 he moved to Les Collettes farm near Cagnes-sur-Mer because the warmer climate offered relief from harsh northern winters.
Who were the children of Pierre-Auguste Renoir and what did they do?
Three sons entered artistic careers themselves including Pierre Renoir who became a stage and film actor living from 1885 to 1952. Jean Renoir became a noted filmmaker between 1894 and 1979 while Claude Renoir worked as a ceramic artist until 1969.
How many paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir are held at the Barnes Foundation Philadelphia?
The single largest collection holds 181 paintings at Barnes Foundation Philadelphia. This institution maintains the most significant number of his works globally.
When did Pierre-Auguste Renoir die and how old was he?
He died in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the 3rd of December 1919 at age seventy-eight. His death occurred after decades of producing art despite physical limitations caused by rheumatoid arthritis.