Renoir, Pierre-Auguste

(1841-1919)

   painter

   One of the best-known exponents of impressionism, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges and, as a child, worked in a porcelain factory in Paris, painting designs on china. At the louvre, he spent time copying the works of the 18th-century masters. In 1863, studying with the Swiss artist Charles Gleyre, he met claude monet, alfred sisley, and Frederic-jean bazille and went to paint with them at Fontainebleau. After initial refusals, Renoir was allowed to show at the 1868 Salon with his Lise with a Parasol, a work that shows especially the influence of Gustave courbet and edouard manet. In 1869, at Croissy, he took up the same themes as his friend Monet (Les Canotier, 1868; La Grenouillère, 1869) and there developed his particular treatment of color. He also met important art dealers at this time. in 1874, he gained recognition at the first impressionist exhibition and subsequently produced many works (La Loge, 1874; Path Winding through High Grass, 1875; Le Moulin de la Galette, 1876, one of the most famous impressionist paintings; Madame Charpentier and her Children, 1878). Renoir also moved away from the other impressionists in terms of color choice and subject, and was as much interested in painting the human form as he was in landscapes (The Umbrellas, 1882-84). In 1887, he did a series of studies of the female nude (The Bathers) that reveal his extraordinary techniques. Around 1888, he spent some time with paul Cézanne in the Midi and painted numerous works in the open air as well as intimate scenes (Girls at the Piano, 1892). Suffering from arthritis, he continued to paint portraits (Crouching Venus) and landscapes. Expressing his own sense of joy and sensuality, Renoir never ceased to convey his love of life in his works, and sought not so much to revolutionize painting as to achieve the quality of the great masters. His interest in the human form allowed him to integrate successfully color with theme and setting, and to present his independent sense of style and technique.