Pierre-Auguste Renoir: A Contagious Love of Life

Pierre-Auguste Renoir not only depicted people enjoying life but was also a passionate “bon vivant” himself. He preferred to paint humans in opulent surroundings.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, oftentimes referred to as Auguste Renoir, was born in Limoges in the southwest of France in 1841. After completing an apprenticeship as a porcelain painter from 1854 to 1858, he studied at the Parisian École des Beaux-Arts. He then joined the studio of sophisticated painter Charles Gleyre, where he met similar minded artists such as Claude Monet, Fréderic Bazille, and Alfred Sisley. In 1864, his first submission to the prestigious Salon de Paris, the epicenter of the French art world, was accepted, and he thereupon began conducting portrait commissions.

While the influence of his great idol Gustave Courbet can still be seen in his early work, Renoir turned to open-air painting around 1867. In the following years, he regularly painted in the rural suburbs of Paris. Eventually, it was in Renoir’s studio where the Société Anonyme des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs et Graveurs, the group of artists rejecting the policies of the official Salon, was founded. Renoir participated in the Salon de Refusés in 1873, where artwork dismissed by the official Salon was exhibited. He likewise took part in the First Impressionist Exhibition of 1874 (read more about the history of Impressionism here). It was also at that time when he developed a special painting technique applying broken brushstrokes, and he likewise started using combinations of complementary colors to capture light and movements.

Renoir eventually achieved success at the Salon of 1879 once again, and he thereupon started moving away from the Impressionists. In 1881, he traveled to Italy, where he studied the ancient Pompeian frescoes as well as the art of the Renaissance. Influenced by his newly gained knowledge, he began experimenting with traditional methods, and his style shifted toward a more classical and linear direction.

The 1890s finally brought him fame and success. Renoir was fortunate to become acquainted with notable art collectors and even ultimately found support from important art dealers. At this point, he was working at three places of residence: Paris, Essoyes in north-central France, and southern France. Henceforth, he created portraits of family members and produced sculptural images of females in opulent surroundings. In 1892, his exhibition arranged by Georges Durand-Ruel became an extraordinary success, surpassed only by the autumn Salon in 1904. Despite failing health, Renoir continued to paint until his death in 1919.

Overall, Renoir primarily depicted pleasurable occasions and people enjoying life. He could be described as a “bon vivant” himself, once stating, “If painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not do it.”

Renoir Today

In terms of art market prices, Renoir doubtlessly belongs to the circle of high-carat Impressionists. Already over 30 years ago, in 1990, one of his most famous pieces, “Bal du Moulin de la Galette” (1876) [see picture below], sold for $78.1 million at Sotheby’s auction house in New York. This price record has not yet been broken.