February 25 marks the 176th birthday of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, the French painter who helped birth the impressionist movement. Although not as influential as Monet or as revolutionary as Cézanne, his paintings still proved a highly important bridge between the old masters and the moderns. As Jonathan Jones writes of his work: “Not only is the art of Renoir beautiful but he, personally and singlehandedly, taught the world to appreciate new dimensions to the beauty of the world we live in.”
Read on for the ultimate A-Z guide to his life and work.
A is for Arthritis
After Renoir turned 51, he developed rheumatoid arthritis. This would affect him for the last twenty years of his life. He eventually strapped his paintbrush to his hand so he could carry on painting.
“The Bathers,” by Renoir. 1919.
B is for Bathing
Renoir, like his impressionist contemporaries, was interested in the way light bounced off the water, and how people looked in water; drawing him again and again to the subject of people sitting by public pools, baths and lakes. The Bathers (above) is a great demonstration of this obsession.
C is For Commune
While not directly involved in the Paris Commune in 1871, it very nearly spelled his end. When painting on the banks of the river Seine, some communards assumed he was a spy. He was very nearly thrown into the river until somebody figured out who he was.
D is for Diffuse Reflection
When painting with Monet, Renoir discovered something remarkable that influenced painting irreversibly. Shadows were not simply black or brown, but actually reflected the colour of their surrounding objects. This concept, known as diffuse reflection, would go on to change the way impressionist painters represented light in painting.
E is for Ecole Des Beaux Arts
The national fine art school in France, Renoir was a famed alma mater, along with luminaries such as Gustave Moreau, Henri Matisse and Edgar Degas
“Figures On The Beach,” by Renoir. 1890.
F is for “Figures on The Beach”
This simple painting depicts two women enjoying themselves on the beach, devoid of the presence of the men. It combines both Renoir’s skepticism towards industralisation, and his celebration of the feminine, all rendered by his dreamy brushstrokes.
G is for Gustave Courbet
The leader of the realist movement — whose “Origins Of The World” scandalized the art world — Gustave Courbet was a major influence on the work of Renoir. His early work sought to ape his naturalism.
H is for Home
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges, Haute-Vienne in 1841. Yet, like a Balzac character trying to realise his dreams, his father, who was a tailor, moved the family to Paris in 1844.
I is for Impressionism
Arguably the most important artistic movement of the 19th century, Impressionism aimed to paint the world as it was perceived through the minds eye. Along with luminaries such as Monet, Manet and Pissarro, they hosted their own exhibitions outside the Paris Salon which grew in notoriety with each installment.
From “French Cancan,” 1955
J is for Jean Renoir
Although it may be scandalous to say here, I would plumb that Renoir’s achievements were eclipsed by his son Jean. Building upon his father’s love of naturalism and artistic fluidity, Jean Renoir became a filmmaker, creating renowned masterpieces such as Le Regle De La Jeu, Le Grande Illusion and The River, which are routinely seen as some of the best films ever made.
K is for Kentish Town
If you fancy your London cafés to be a little more upscale, check out the Café Renoir in Kentish Town. Naturally, reproductions of his artworks adorn the walls.
L is for Louvre
As a child Pierre-Auguste Renoir would often run away from his apprenticeship at a porcelain factory in order to hide in the Louvre. It was through walking around the galleries that he found the inspiration to be an artist.
M is for Monet
One of Renoir’s best friends, Monet, would be one of his finest collaborators too. They would often paint the same scene together in order to see how their perception differed, in the process spurring each other on to hone their own technique.
“Nude Reclining on the Grass,” by Renoir. 1890.
N is for Nude
Pierre-Auguste Renoir loved feminine sensuality and beauty, and is aptly described as “the final representative of a tradition which runs directly from Rubens to Watteau.” This can be seen by his studies of the nude, for which he achieved his greatest notoriety. While many nudes objectified and idealised the feminine, Renoir’s portraits are much more grounded and humanistic, especially considering the sexism of the form.
O is for Old Masters
During the later years of his life, Pierre-Auguste Renoir would go back to the work of the old masters for inspiration. This started the “Ingres period,” which returned to classicism and provided a much severer painting style.
P is for Paris
Pierre-Auguste Renoir lived in Paris for much of his life, regularly using its hustle and bustle for his portraits of everyday life. Although he did not like the smoke, he found the light on the river Seine to be particularly inspiring for his work.
Q is for Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 1887. Upon request, Renoir sent her a collection of paintings as a congratulatory present.
R is for Renaissance
It was when traveling to Italy in the 1880s that Renoir came across the majesties of the Renaissance. Struck by their work, he immediately decided he was on the wrong path, leading to a fruitful period of reinvention.
“Luncheon Of The Boating Party,” by Renoir. 1881
S is for Storytelling
Like his son after him, Renoir was a master storyteller. This can be seen by his best painting “Luncheon of the Boating Party,” which in its understated observation reveals a multitude of different character interactions. You could spend hours theorizing over which characters are sleeping together.
T is for “Two Young Girls At The Piano”
This painting is an excellent demonstration of Renoir’s style. Depicting two girls as they play at the piano, it is a scene of gentle gaiety. As it was Renoir’s contribution to the newly-built Musée du Luxembourg, he lavished extreme care upon the project.
U is for Umbrellas
From The Umbrellas of Cherbourg to the paintings of Jack Vetrianno, umbrellas have proved an enduring symbol throughout the history of art. Yet Renoir’s contribution to the popularity of image can by seen in “The Umbrellas,” which is one of the quintessential depictions of Paris in the rain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V62aT_K8Zw
V is for Video
Remarkably for someone who was born in the early 19th century, there is video footage of Renoir at work. Check out the clip above.
W is for Wagner
Renoir met Wagner in Palermo, Sicily in the 1880s. Composed in just one sitting, Renoir depicts the composer with, as critic Julius Meier-Graefe wrote, “an astonishing, almost pitiless, psychology.”
Y is for La Yole
One of Renoir’s many open air boating scenes, it used the contemporary colours of the time to create a strong juxtaposition between the orange boat and the shimmering blue water.
Z is for Zodiac Sign
Renoir is a Pisces. His zodiac reading seems to sum up his style quite well, writing that his “nature is adaptable and receptive”.