Pierre Auguste Renoir was one of the premier French impressionist painters, noted for his radiant, intimate paintings, particularly of the female nude. Renoir is recognized by critics as one of the greatest and most independent painters of his period, celebrated for the harmony of his lines, the brilliance of his color, and the intimate charm of his wide variety of subjects. Unlike other impressionists he was as much interested in painting the single human figure or family group portraits as he was in landscapes. Also unlike other impressionists, especially Claude Monet, Renoir did not place a higher value on showing the effect that light had on the form than his subject or form itself.
Renoir was born in Limoges on February 25, 1841. As a child he worked in a porcelain factory in Paris, painting designs on china; at 17 he copied paintings on fans, lamp shades, and blinds. He studied painting formally in 1862-63 at the academy of the Swiss painter Charles Gabriel Gleyre in Paris. Renoir's early work was influenced by two French artists, Claude Monet in his treatment of light and the romantic painter Eugène Delacroix in his treatment of color.
Renoir first exhibited his paintings in Paris in 1864, but he did not gain recognition until 1874, at the first exhibition of painters of the new impressionist school. One of the most famous of all impressionist works is Renoir's Le Bal au Moulin de la Galette (1876, Musée du Louvre, Paris), an open-air scene of a café, in which his mastery in figure painting and in representing light is evident. Another outstanding example of his talents as a portraitist are Madame Charpentier and Her Children (1878, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City). In 1887 Renoir completed a series of studies of a group of nude female figures known as The Bathers which is now in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. These woks reveal his extraordinary ability to depict the lustrous, pearly color and texture of skin and to impart lyrical feeling and plasticity to a subject; they are unsurpassed in the history of modern painting in their representation of feminine grace. Many of his later paintings also treat the same theme in an increasingly bold rhythmic style. During the last 20 years of his life Renoir was crippled by arthritis; unable to move his hands freely, he continued to paint, however, by using a brush strapped to his arm. Renoir died at Cagnes, a village in the south of France, on December 3, 1919.
American Fine Art Editions, Inc. is thrilled to offer the works of this legendary master of the Impressionist Movement. In addition to Renoir, the gallery hosts a variety of other renowned masters including: Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Joan Miro, Andrew Wyeth, LeRoy Neiman, Salvador Dali, and more. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. If you need to learn more about collecting, pricing, value or any other art information your International Art Consultant will assist you and give you the one on one attention you deserve. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.
