Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Lore & Background

Renoir was born in Limoges, France, to a tailor of modest means. His family moved to Paris in 1844, where he lived near the Louvre. He showed early talent in drawing and singing, but due to financial constraints, he left school at thirteen to apprentice at a porcelain factory. He later studied under Charles Gleyre in 1862, meeting Alfred Sisley, Frédéric Bazille, and Claude Monet. His first Salon success came in 1868 with Lise with a Parasol. During the Paris Commune in 1871, he was nearly thrown into the Seine by Communards who mistook him for a spy, but was recognized by leader Raoul Rigault.

Renoir joined the First Impressionist Exhibition in 1874, displaying six paintings. He achieved success in the late 1870s, particularly after Mme Charpentier and her Children at the 1879 Salon. He traveled to Algeria, Madrid, and Italy in 1881–1882, and met composer Richard Wagner in Palermo in 1882, painting his portrait in thirty-five minutes. He married Aline Victorine Charigot in 1890, with whom he had three sons: Pierre, Jean, and Claude. In his later years, he developed rheumatoid arthritis, moving to Cagnes-sur-Mer in 1907, and continued painting despite limited mobility, using a moving canvas and assistance to place the brush in his hand.

Reader's Guide

Renoir's significance lies in his role as a leading Impressionist who focused on intimate, candid compositions of people, especially female nudes and family life. His work is notable for vibrant light and saturated color. Despite early critical hostility—one 1876 reviewer described his female nudes as 'decomposing flesh'—he persisted and became a successful and fashionable painter by the end of the 1870s. His legacy extends through his children: actor Pierre Renoir, filmmaker Jean Renoir, and ceramic artist Claude Renoir, as well as great-grandson Alexandre Renoir, a professional artist. Renoir's response to his painful arthritis—'The pain passes, but the beauty remains'—encapsulates his enduring commitment to art. His paintings remain widely exhibited and collected, and his influence on modern art is recognized through his innovative use of color and light.

Did You Know?

• Renoir was nearly thrown into the Seine by Communards in 1871, but was recognized by leader Raoul Rigault.
• He painted composer Richard Wagner's portrait in just thirty-five minutes in 1882.
• Renoir's son Jean Renoir became a noted filmmaker, and his great-grandson Alexandre Renoir is a professional artist.
• In his later years, Renoir used a moving canvas to facilitate painting large works due to his arthritis.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Pierre-Auguste Renoir (25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style." — Pierre-Auguste Renoir "You haven't time to think about the composition. In working directly from nature, the painter ends up by simply aiming at an effect, and not composing the picture at all; and he soon becomes monotonous." — Pierre-Auguste Renoir "pp. 156-157 : quote, 1881 on the illusion by sunlight, from Renoir et ses amis, Georges Riviere." — Pierre-Auguste Renoir "p. 175 : (1886) Renoir's remark to Vollard [Renoir had been commissioned to portray Madame Robert de Bonnieres in 1886]." — Pierre-Auguste Renoir