Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born on Februrary 25, 1841 in Limoges, France, but moved with his family to Paris in 1844. Ten years later, he left school and began an apprenticeship as a porcelain painter at the firm Levy Frères. The firm went bankrupt in 1858, and that is when Renoir began to focus on painting. In 1860, Renoir obtained permission to sketch in the Louvre, and used that privilege for the following four years. During that time, he was interested in 18th century masters, such as Fragonard and Watteau. Renoir was accepted to the Ecole des Beaux Arts in 1862, where he studied under the Swiss artist, Charles Gleyre. It was at Gleyre’s studio that Renoir met Alfred Sisley and Claude Monet. As his career progressed, Renoir began to exhibit his work more frequently. Although he was rejected from the 1863 Salon, Renoir’s work was accepted in the seventies. Furthermore, as a result of socializing with Paul Cézanne and Emile Zola, and painting with Monet, Renoir participated in the 1st Impressionist exhibition in 1872; he also took part in the 1876, 1877 and 1882 shows. In 1883, art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel gave Renoir his first solo exhibition at his gallery. During the eighties, however, Renoir joined a new group of artists, and collaborated with “Les Vingts” in Brussels; he showed with them in 1885, 1886 and 1889. The following year, as result of his failing health, Renoir stopped showing as often, and exhibited at the Salon for the last time. Stylistically, Renoir had various tastes throughout his career. When he first began painting, Renoir was influenced by Gustave Courbet and used darker tones in his paintings. Upon socializing with the Impressionists, however, Renoir’s palette lightened, and he developed an interest in emulating natural light. Furthermore, Renoir differed from other Impressionists, as he focused more on painting portraits and social Parisian scenes, rather than nature. In 1880, feeling exhausted by Impressionist themes, Renoir traveled to Italy, and returned to his admiration of older artists, such as Ingres and Raphael. This admiration included a focus on decoration and craftsmanship in painting; Renoir concentrated more on detail, and learned to use complimentary colors. As he grew older, however, Renoir’s style evolved again, with his palette returning to softer colors and his brushworks becoming looser. Despite the fact that Renoir suffered greatly from painful muscular rheumatism, he was one of the most prolific artists of his time. One of the most important and popular painters of the later 19th century, he influenced many other artists, such as Pablo Picasso. Renoir passed away on December 3, 1919 in his home of Cagnes, France. He was 78. Edited by R.S. «back