Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) one of the famous impressionist painters in France believed, “A picture must be an amicable thing, joyous and pretty. There are enough troublesome things in life without inventing others.”

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France, the child of a working class family. He was one of seven children in his family. His father Leonard Renoir was a tailor. His mother Marguerite Merlet, worked as a seamstress.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

At the age of 13, he worked in a porcelain factory where his drawing talents led to him being chosen to paint designs on fine china. He also painted hangings for overseas missionaries and decorations on fans before he enrolled in art school.

During those early years, he often visited the Louvre to study the French master painters. From 1860 to 1864, he was registered copyist at the Louvre. This meant he was allowed to visit museum copy the work of other artists.

Renoir had very little money, and sometimes could not even afford to paint, Ho work was met with some acceptance, however and he exhibited at the Salon for the first time in 1864 with Dancing Esmeralda.

In 1862 he began studying art under Charles Gleyre in Paris. There he met Alfred Sisley, Frederic Bazille, and Claude Monet. At times during the 1860s, he did not have enough money to buy paint. Although Renoir first exhibited paintings in 1864, recognition did not come for another ten years

La Moulin de la Galette, 1876, Musee d’Orsay 

One of the best known Impressionist works is Renoir's 1876 Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (Le Bal au Moulin de la Galette). The painting depicts an open-air scene, crowded with people, at a popular dance garden on the Butte Montmartre close to where he lived.

In 1892, exhibition organized by dealer Durand-Ruel marks the beginning of broad acclaim for his work.

Renoir dies of heart a heart attack in December 3, 1919 in Cagnes-sur-Mer.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir