The outstanding French painter, sculptor, graphic artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir lived a long and fruitful life. During his life, he created more than a thousand paintings, the price of which at auction today ranges from several tens to several hundred million dollars.

Family and childhood

Pierre Auguste Renoir was born in 1841 in a poor large family of a tailor. He was the sixth child. When he was very young, the family moved to Paris, where Renoir grew up. From an early age, he was forced to start earning a living, but his parents found something to his liking. As Auguste's brother said, the parents saw the boy drawing with charcoal on the walls, and decided to give him as an apprentice in a porcelain painting workshop. The head of the church choir, in which the boy sang, seriously insisted that he be sent to study music, since he had excellent inclinations. But Auguste was lucky, in the workshop he learned the basics of the decorative art of painting and felt attracted to the fine arts. In the evenings, he was able to attend a free painting school.

Finding a calling

In 1861, Renoir entered the School of Fine Arts, working diligently in the workshop on and later painting fans, he was able to save money for his studies. Auguste also visits the workshop of C. Gleyer, in which he studied alongside A. Sisley, C. Monet and F. Basil. He often went to the Louvre, where he was most inspired by the works of A. Watteau, O. Fragonard, V. Boucher.

In the early 60s, Renoir became close to the artists who would later become the basis of the Impressionist community. Since 1864, after graduating, Renoir began to work independently. At this time, he tries himself in different genres and stops his choice on the set, which he will remain true to all his life, everyday scenes, nudity and landscapes. Auguste Renoir, whose works during this period are still under the influence of the Barbizons, Courbet, Corot, Prudon, gradually develops his own style of writing.

Finding a Path in Art

After graduation, the artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir embarks on an arduous voyage of fame and income. There are times of poverty, searches and turbulent Parisian life. Renoir communicates a lot with his studio friends: Sisley, Basil, Monet, they heatedly discussed the ways of the new art and authorities. For young artists, E. Manet was a big figure, who in the mid-60s became close to a group of future impressionists. Auguste Renoir, whose works are not yet in demand, paints a lot from nature, a group of comrades often travels to the open air. The artist had very little money, and he shared an apartment with K. Monet, then with A. Sisley.

Impressionism and Renoir

The beginning of the 60s is the time of the formation of impressionism. Young artists, inspired by the works, strive to find new expressive forms, trying to overcome the academicism of painting of previous eras. The 70s were the time of the maturation of impressionism. In 1874, the first exhibition of artists of the new school took place, which was named after the work of C. Monet “Impression. Rising Sun". On it, Renoir shows six paintings, including The Lodge and The Dancer, but he, like the entire exhibition, was not successful. Impressionism proclaimed a new philosophy and technique, special coloring becomes important, artists strive to convey on the canvas a momentary impression of the phenomenon. At this time, Auguste Renoir, whose works are also created in the style of impressionism, works very hard, he creates a whole galaxy of masterpieces: “Ball at the Moulin de la Galette”, “Swing”, “Nude in the Sunlight”. Gradually, the paths of the Impressionists and Renoir diverge, he ceases to participate in community exhibitions, preferring to go his own way. In the late 70s - early 80s, Renoir gained some fame, and with it orders. He paints paintings that he exhibits at the Salon, in particular, the work “A Cup of Hot Chocolate”, “Portrait of Madame Charpentier with Children”. Such an exhibition made it possible to receive orders that poor Renoir needed. Also at this time, he writes famous works: “Clichy Boulevard”, “Breakfast of the Rowers”, “On the Terrace”.

Glory years

The sale of paintings allowed Renoir to travel, he visits Algeria and Italy, paints a lot of landscapes. He also gets the opportunity to live outside the city, where he always had nature. The gallery of paintings by Renoir Pierre Auguste is replenished with such works as "Umbrellas", a series of "Dances", "Large Bathers". The years from 1883 to 1890 are called the "Ingres" period, since the artist is under some influence of this painter. At this time, Pierre-Auguste Renoir becomes the most popular. The life and work of the artist gain stability. He was able to achieve a decent income, among his customers there are many representatives of the new bourgeoisie, his paintings are exhibited in Brussels, London, Paris. At this time, he travels a lot, enjoys life and works a lot. Renoir was always distinguished by high efficiency, he experienced real pleasure from painting and gave himself to the cause in full.

"Pearl" period

The last decade of the 19th century is called the "mother-of-pearl" period of the artist. Auguste Renoir, whose works retained their individuality, begins to experiment with color transitions, which gives the paintings a special charm. During this period, the artist creates such masterpieces as "Son Jean", "Spring", "Figures in the Garden", "Still Life with Anemones". These works are filled with special light and skill of a great artist.

In the last years of his life, the artist suffered from illness, which prevented him from writing, although he created a number of significant works. But at that time he gave preference to sculpture.

Private life

The biography of Auguste, who is in the best museums in the world, is not rich in events. Although there were many women in his life, he wrote a lot from a female nature, but he was happily married. He married in 1890 Alina Sharigo, a girl of peasant origin, who was calm about her husband's hobbies. She bore Renoir three sons, one of whom, Jean, became a famous film director of the 20th century.

Renoir's happy life was marred by illness, he was never in good health, but after a hand injury in 1897, he developed arthritis, which led to almost complete immobility at the end of his life. But, overcoming the pain, Renoir continued to work until the very last day of his life. The artist died on December 2, 1919.

Unknown and interesting biography facts

Auguste Renoir is a Chevalier and officer of the Legion of Honor, he received awards for his achievements in painting in 1900 and 1911.

Renoir was the work "Ball at the Moulin de la Galette", which was sold at auction for $ 78 million.

The largest collection of Renoir's work was collected by Albert Barnes, who was literally obsessed with the artist. He bought even weak student works, in addition, in his collection there are many works of the "mother-of-pearl" and "red" periods and rare paintings of the last years of his life.

Pierre Auguste Renoir (fr. Pierre-Auguste Renoir; February 25, 1841, Limoges - December 3, 1919, Cagnes-sur-Mer) - French painter, graphic artist and sculptor, one of the main representatives of impressionism. Known, first of all, as a master of a secular portrait, not devoid of sentimentality. Renoir was the first of the Impressionists to win success with wealthy Parisians. In the mid 1880s. he actually broke with impressionism, returning to the linearity of classicism, to "engrysme". Father of the famous director Jean Renoir.

Auguste Renoir was born on February 25, 1841 in Limoges, a city in the south of Central France. Renoir was the sixth child of 7 children of the poor tailor Leonard Renoir (1799-1874) and his wife Marguerite (1807-1896).

In 1844 the Renoirs moved to Paris. Here Auguste enters the church choir at the great Cathedral of Saint-Eustache. He had such a voice that the choir director, Charles Gounod, tried to convince the boy's parents to send him to study music. But besides this, Auguste showed the gift of the artist. When he was 13 years old, he began to help the family, getting a job with a master, from whom he learned to paint porcelain plates and other dishes. In the evenings, Auguste attended a painting school.

In 1865, at the home of his friend, the painter Jules Le Coeur, he met the 16-year-old Lisa Treo. She soon became Renoir's lover and his favorite model. In 1870, their daughter Jeanne Marguerite was born - although Renoir refused to acknowledge his paternity officially. Their relationship continued until 1872, when Lisa left Renoir and married another.

Renoir's creative career was interrupted in 1870-1871, when he was drafted into the army during the Franco-Prussian war, which ended in a crushing defeat for France.

In 1890, Renoir married Alina Charigot, whom he had met ten years earlier when she was a 21-year-old seamstress. They already had a son, Pierre, born in 1885. After the wedding, they had two more sons - Jean, born in 1894, and Claude (known as "Coco"), born in 1901 and became one of his father's favorite models. By the time his family was finally formed, Renoir had achieved success and fame, was recognized as one of the leading artists of France and managed to receive the title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor from the state.

Renoir's personal happiness and professional success were overshadowed by illness. In 1897, he broke his right arm after falling off his bicycle. As a result, he developed rheumatism, from which the artist suffered until the end of his life. Because of this, it became difficult for Renoir to live in Paris, and in 1903 the Renoir family moved to an estate called "Colette" in the small town of Cagnes-sur-Mer.

After an attack of paralysis that occurred in 1912, despite two surgical operations, Renoir was chained to a wheelchair, but continued to paint with a brush that was put between his fingers by a nurse.

In the last years of his life, Renoir gained fame and universal recognition. In 1917, when his "Umbrellas" were exhibited at the London National Gallery, hundreds of British artists and ordinary art lovers sent him congratulations, which said: "From the moment your painting was hung in the same row with the works of the old masters, we experienced the joy that our contemporary took his rightful place in European painting. Renoir's painting was also exhibited at the Louvre. In August 1919, the artist visited Paris for the last time to look at her.

On December 2, 1919, at the age of 79, Pierre-Auguste Renoir died in Cagnes-sur-Mer from pneumonia. Buried in Essua.

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Pierre Auguste Renoir - French impressionist painter, was born February 25, 1841 in France in Limoges. His father was a tailor. In 1862, Renoir entered the school of fine arts. During his studies, he met such masters of painting as A. Sisley, F. Basil and C. Monet. Pierre's favorite artists were A. Watteau, F. Boucher, O. Fragonard, G. Courbet. His early works are very similar in style to the works of these authors. A detailed study of chiaroscuro, which gives the image almost sculptural forms, but even then the distinctive handwriting of the future great artist was noticeable - this is a light, almost airy color scheme - Mother Anthony's Tavern.

Renoir's work was greatly influenced by paintings, with whom they were on friendly terms and often painted together. Their most famous collaboration is The Frog. After that, Renoir's paintings began to noticeably change, for example, he introduces the so-called colored shadows and achieves certain results in the image of the light-air environment: Bathing on the Seine, Path in tall grass, In the garden, Swing, Seine in Argenteuil, Estac.

After the Impressionist exhibition at the Nadar Hotel was literally disgraced in disgrace by angry critics who were more committed to classical painting, Renoir and Monet were forced to eke out a poor existence. This continued until the painting that brought real success to Pierre Auguste - Moulin de la Galette, which now hangs in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Renoir's paintings are characterized by expressive features and random scenes, which, as it were, are snatched from everyday life, by this they set the viewer up for contemplation, entering a state of complete rest. Like no other, this mood is conveyed by the painting Breakfast of the Rowers, in which a special place belongs to a lady with a dog in her hands - Renoir's future wife.

Since 1880, Renoir, together with his wife, began to travel the world, the Mediterranean, Algeria, Italy. Here he studies the work of local artists and constantly works on his own.

In 1903, O. Renoir moved to his villa in the south of France. He suffers from terrible arthritis, which is constantly progressing. Despite this, he constantly draws, even when he is struck by paralysis. He ties the hand to his hand, since the fingers can no longer hold it. After that, the artist only once visited his beloved Paris to look at his painting Umbrellas, which was exhibited in the Louvre.

On December 3, 1919, Pierre-Auguste Renoir died of inflammation at the age of 78 and was buried in Essois.

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Renoir paintings:

Rowers breakfast

Umbrellas

thoughtfulness

In the garden


spring landscape

Dancing in the city

Dancing in Bougival


Sleeping by the sea

Romain Lanco

Hairdressing girl

Washerwomen

After swimming

First exit

Parisian

naked girl

new bridge

Nude

Still life with chrysanthemums

On the terrace

Pont des Arts in Paris

Naked woman sitting on a couch

Monet at work

Young man in the forest of Fontainebleau

Paddling pool

Madame Clementine

bathers

Swimming pool on the river

woman at the source

Woman playing the guitar

Jeanne Samary

The painter Basil in Atel

Gabrielle Jean and girl

figures in the garden

Jewish wedding

Two girls at the piano

Diana the Huntress

girl with mandolin

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Girl with a watering can

Ball at the Moulin de la Gallette

Young lady Grimpel with a blue ribbon in her hair

Renoir is attributed to one of the founders of classical impressionism, however, unlike the paintings of his colleagues, his painting developed in a different direction. He devoted his work to the techniques of transparent painting. Using completely new techniques for applying strokes, Renoir achieved a separate structure of his work, which greatly distinguishes his work from the school of the old masters.

Women in the paintings of Renoir

Renoir's paintings, whose names are associated with truly feminine charm, miraculously convey the barely noticeable features of girlish beauty. He was an optimist and looked for the best manifestations in life, trying to preserve them with the help of the picturesque kinetics of his brushes.

As which emit light, he knew how to find and depict only joyful and happy faces. Largely due to this ability of his, as well as the love of love inherent in people, the creator made women the quintessence of his art.

Renoir's paintings with the titles "Joan Samary", "Ballerina", "Bathers" give out in him a connoisseur of female nature, who had his own ideal of beauty and was alien to conventions. The women in Auguste's paintings are recognizable, and anyone who has ever encountered the history of painting is able to recognize the master's hand. Each lady always looks from the canvas with eyes filled with a thirst for love and a craving for change. Among the common features that are visible in all the female portraits of the artist, all the ladies in the paintings have a small forehead and a heavy chin.

"Portrait of Jeanne Samary" and "Portrait of Henriette Hanriot"

In 1877, a personal exhibition of the artist's expositions was held within the framework of impressionism. Among the majority of works, Renoir's paintings with the titles "Portrait of Jeanne Samary" and "Portrait of Henriette Hanriot" aroused the greatest interest. The ladies depicted in the pictures are actresses. The author painted their portraits more than once. The paintings captured attention largely due to the skillfully created illusion of the mobility of the white-blue background, which gradually condenses around the outlines of the feminine Henriette and leads the viewer to her velvety brown eyes. Despite the fact that in general the exposition came out very kinetic and emotional, it at the same time remained motionless, with an emphasis on the contrast of dark brow ridges and supple red curls.

In a similar manner, Pierre Auguste Renoir, whose paintings are not famous for the placement of accents and detailing, painted a portrait of the charming Jeanne Samary. The figure of the actress seems to be molded from ornate purple strokes, which incredibly absorbed the entire possible color palette and at the same time retained the dominant red color. Renoir skillfully brings the viewer to the girl's face, drawing attention to the drawn mouth, eyes and even strands of hair. The background puts reflexes on the face of the actress with a purple blush, which fits very harmoniously into the image of the diva. The very body of the actress is filled with hasty strokes characteristic of the Impressionists.

Technical features of Renoir's performance

Pierre Auguste Renoir, whose paintings radiate the spirit of impressionism, continued to work until the last days of his life, not allowing his illness to remove him from paints. In addition to his love for the depiction of female nature, the artist became famous for his ability to effectively use color and work with paints that his colleagues in the craft rarely resorted to.

Auguste is one of the few who skillfully resorted to using a combination of black, gray and white colors on his canvases so that the paintings did not look “dirty”. The idea to experiment with this color scheme came to the artist when he somehow sat and watched the raindrops. Many art historians notice that the artist can be called a master of the image of umbrellas, since he often resorted to this detail in his work.

For the most part, the master used white paint, Neapolitan yellow paint, cobalt blue, crown, ultramarine, kraplak, emerald green paint and vermilion for work, but their skillful combination gave rise to incredibly picturesque masterpieces. Toward 1860, as Impressionism was gaining momentum, Renoir's color palette changed and he began to resort to brighter hues, such as red.

Monet's influence on Renoir's work

The case led Renoir to a meeting with a painter no less significant for French art. Their fates intertwined, and for some time they lived in the same apartment, constantly honing their skills, depicting each other on canvases. Some critics argue that the similarities between their paintings are so obvious that, were it not for the caption in the lower left corner, it would technically be impossible to tell them apart. However, there are obvious differences in their work. For example, Monet focused on the play of light and shadow, thanks to which he created his own contrasts on canvases. Auguste appreciated color more as such, which makes his paintings more iridescent and full of light. Another fundamental difference in the work of painters was that the paintings of Renoir, with the names of which women are certainly associated, always gravitated towards the depiction of human figures, while Claude Monet certainly took them to the background.

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Pierre Auguste Renoir (French Pierre-Auguste Renoir; February 25, 1841, Limoges - December 2, 1919, Cagnes-sur-Mer) - French painter, graphic artist and sculptor, one of the main representatives of impressionism. Renoir is known primarily as a master of a secular portrait, not devoid of sentimentality; he was the first of the Impressionists to succeed with wealthy Parisians. In the mid 1880s. actually broke with impressionism, returning to the linearity of classicism, to engrism. The father of the famous director.

Auguste Renoir was born on February 25, 1841 in Limoges, a city located in the south of Central France. Renoir was the sixth child of a poor tailor named Léonard and his wife, Marguerite.
In 1844, the Renoirs moved to Paris, and here Auguste entered the church choir at the great Cathedral of Saint-Eustache. He had such a voice that the choir director, Charles Gounod, tried to convince the boy's parents to send him to study music. However, in addition to this, Auguste showed the gift of an artist, and when he was 13 years old, he began to help his family by getting a job with a master, from whom he learned to paint porcelain plates and other dishes. In the evenings, Auguste attended a painting school.

"Dance at Bougival" (1883), Boston Museum of Fine Arts

In 1865, at the house of his friend, the artist Jules Le Coeur, he met a 16-year-old girl, Lisa Treo, who soon became Renoir's lover and his favorite model. In 1870, their daughter Jeanne Marguerite was born, although Renoir refused to acknowledge his paternity officially. Their relationship continued until 1872, when Lisa left Renoir and married another.
Renoir's creative career was interrupted in 1870-1871, when he was drafted into the army during the Franco-Prussian war, which ended in a crushing defeat for France.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alina Charigot, 1885, Museum of Art, Philadelphia

In 1890, Renoir married Alina Charigot, whom he had met ten years earlier when she was a 21-year-old seamstress. They already had a son, Pierre, born in 1885, and after the wedding they had two more sons - Jean, born in 1894, and Claude (known as "Coco"), born in 1901 and became one of the most beloved models father.

By the time his family was finally formed, Renoir had achieved success and fame, was recognized as one of the leading artists of France and managed to receive the title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor from the state.

Renoir's personal happiness and professional success were overshadowed by illness. In 1897, Renoir broke his right arm after falling off his bicycle. As a result, he developed rheumatism, from which he suffered for the rest of his life. Rheumatism made it difficult for Renoir to live in Paris, and in 1903 the Renoir family moved to an estate called "Colette" in the small town of Cagnes-sur-Mer.
After an attack of paralysis that occurred in 1912, despite two surgical operations, Renoir was chained to a wheelchair, but continued to paint with a brush that was put between his fingers by a nurse.

In the last years of his life, Renoir gained fame and universal recognition. In 1917, when his "Umbrellas" were exhibited at the London National Gallery, hundreds of British artists and ordinary art lovers sent him congratulations, which said: "From the moment your painting was hung in the same row with the works of the old masters, we experienced the joy that our contemporary took his rightful place in European painting. Renoir's painting was also exhibited at the Louvre, and in August 1919 the artist visited Paris for the last time to look at it.

On December 3, 1919, Pierre-Auguste Renoir died in Cagnes-sur-Mer from pneumonia at the age of 78. Buried in Essua.

Marie-Félix Hippolyte-Lucas (1854-1925) - portrait by Renoir 1919

1862-1873 Choice of genres

"Spring Bouquet" (1866). Museum of Harvard University.

In early 1862, Renoir passed the exams at the School of Fine Arts at the Academy of Arts and enrolled in Gleyre's studio. There he met Fantin-Latour, Sisley, Basil and Claude Monet. Soon they became friends with Cezanne and Pizarro, so the backbone of the future Impressionist group was formed.
In his early years, Renoir was influenced by the work of the Barbizons, Corot, Prudhon, Delacroix and Courbet.
In 1864, Gleyre closed the workshop, the training ended. Renoir began to paint his first canvases and then for the first time presented the painting "Esmeralda dancing among the tramps" to the Salon. She was accepted, but when the canvas was returned to him, the author destroyed it.
Having chosen genres for his works in those years, he did not change them until the end of his life. This is a landscape - "Jules le Coeur in the Forest of Fontainebleau" (1866), everyday scenes - "The Frog" (1869), "Pont Neuf" (1872), still life - "Spring Bouquet" (1866), "Still Life with a Bouquet and a Fan" (1871), portrait - "Lisa with an umbrella" (1867), "Odalisque" (1870), nude - "Diana the Huntress" (1867).
In 1872, Renoir and his friends created the Anonymous Cooperative Partnership.

1874-1882 Struggle for recognition

"Ball at the Moulin de la Galette" (1876). Musée d'Orsay.

The first exhibition of the partnership opened on April 15, 1874. Renoir presented pastels and six paintings, among which were "Dancer" and "Lodge" (both - 1874). The exhibition ended in failure, and the members of the partnership received an insulting nickname - "Impressionists".
Despite poverty, it was during these years that the artist created his main masterpieces: Grands Boulevards (1875), Walk (1875), Ball at the Moulin de la Galette (1876), Nude (1876), Nude in the Sunlight" (1876), "Swing" (1876), "First Departure" (1876/1877), "Path in the Tall Grass" (1877).
Renoir gradually ceased to participate in exhibitions of the Impressionists. In 1879, he presented the full-figure Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary (1878) and Portrait of Madame Charpentier with Children (1878) to the Salon in 1879 and achieved universal recognition, and after that financial independence. He continued to write new canvases - in particular, the famous "Clichy Boulevard" (1880), "Breakfast of the Rowers" (1881), "On the Terrace" (1881), which became famous.

1883-1890 "Ingres period"

"Big bathers" (1884-1887). Museum of Art, Philadelphia.

Renoir traveled to Algeria, then to Italy, where he became closely acquainted with the works of the Renaissance classics, after which his artistic taste changed. Renoir painted a series of paintings "Dance in the Village" (1882/1883), "Dance in the City" (1883), "Dance in Bougival" (1883), as well as such canvases as "In the Garden" (1885) and "Umbrellas" (1881/1886), where the impressionist past is still visible, but Renoir's new approach to painting appears.
The so-called "Ingres period" opens. The most famous work of this period is The Great Bathers (1884/1887). For the construction of the composition, the author first used sketches and sketches. The lines of the drawing became clear and defined. The colors lost their former brightness and saturation, the painting as a whole began to look more restrained and colder.

1891-1902 "Pearl period"

"Girls at the Piano" (1892). Musée d'Orsay.

In 1892, Durand-Ruel opened a large exhibition of paintings by Renoir, which was a great success. Recognition also came from government officials - the painting "Girls at the Piano" (1892) was purchased for the Luxembourg Museum.
Renoir traveled to Spain, where he got acquainted with the work of Velasquez and Goya.
In the early 90s, new changes took place in Renoir art. In a picturesque manner, an iridescence of color appeared, which is why this period is sometimes called "mother-of-pearl".
At this time, Renoir painted such paintings as "Apples and Flowers" (1895/1896), "Spring" (1897), "Son Jean" (1900), "Portrait of Mrs. Gaston Bernheim" (1901). He traveled to the Netherlands, where he was interested in the paintings of Vermeer and Rembrandt.

1903-1919 "Red Period"

"Gabriel in a red blouse" (1910). Collection of M. Wertem, New York.

The "pearl" period gave way to the "red", so named because of the preference for shades of reddish and pink flowers.
Renoir continued to paint sunny landscapes, still lifes with bright colors, portraits of his children, naked women, created A Walk (1906), Portrait of Ambroise Vollard (1908), Gabriel in a Red Blouse (1910), Bouquet of Roses "(1909/1913)," Woman with a mandolin "(1919).

In the film "Amelie" the neighbor of the main character Ramon Dufael has been making copies of Renoir's painting "Breakfast of the Rowers" for 10 years.
A close friend of Auguste Renoir was Henri Matisse, who was almost 28 years his junior. When O. Renoir was essentially bedridden due to illness, A. Matisse visited him every day. Renoir, almost paralyzed by arthritis, overcoming pain, continued to paint in his studio. Once, watching the pain with which each stroke of the brush is given to him, Matisse could not stand it and asked: “Auguste, why don’t you leave painting, are you suffering so much?” Renoir limited himself to only the answer: “La douleur passe, la beauté reste” (Pain passes, but beauty remains). And this was the whole Renoir, who worked until his last breath.