The Art of Painting: Pierre-Auguste Renoir


Pierre-Auguste Renoir

1841- Birth at Limoges, February 25, of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, son of a small tailor. The numbered seven children, two of whom died young.

1845- The Renoirs move to Paris, settling in the Carrousel quarter.

1854- Renoir begins his apprenticeship as a painter on porcelain.

1858- Seeing his profession threatened by newly invented processes of mechanical reproduction, he gives up painting on porcelain. To earn a living, he paints fans, then decorates blinds.

Alfred Sisley

Claude Monet

1862- Gives this up in turn now that he has saved enough money to keep him going for awhile, Follows courses at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, and enrolls in Gleyre's studio, whee he meets Monet, Sisley and Bazille.

Frederic Bazille

1864- While painting in the Forest of Fontainebleau, Renoir makes the acquaintance of the Barbizon painter Diaz.

De La Pena Narcisse Virgile Diaz

1866- A stay at Mariotte, near Fontainebleau, where he paints "The Inn of Mother Anthony." His entries are rejected at the Salon.

1867- His "Diana" is rejected at the Salon, Shares Bazille's studio.

1868- His "Lise" is accepted at the Salon.

1869- Renoir and Monet work together at Bougival, where they paint "La Grenouillere," a bathing spot on the Seine.

1870- His "Bather with a Dog" and an odalisque are accepted at the Salon. During the Franco-Prussian War, he serves at Bordeaux in a light cavalry regiment. (Bazille killed in action)

1871- Renoir returns to Paris during the Commune.

1872- Studio in the Rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs. "Le Pont-Neuf."

1873- Meets Durand-Ruel. Studio in the Rue Saint-Geoges, Paints with Monet at Argenteuil on the banks of the Seine.

1874- First Group Exhibition of the Impressionist, "Box at the Theater." Meets Caillebotte. Both Renoir and Monet paint "Sailboats at the Argenteuil." Death of his father.

Berthe Morisot

1875- Auction-sale at the Hotel Drouot with Monet, Sisley, Berthe Morisot. Meets Chocquet. "Lee Grands Bulevards."

1876- Second Group exhibition of the Impressionist. Meets the publisher Charpentier. The two portraits of Chocquet, "Le Moulin de la Galette."

1877- Third Group Exhibition. "Portrait of Jeanne Samary."

1878- Paints"Madame Charpentier and her Daughters."

1879- Accepted a the Salon with his portraits of Jeanne Samary and Madame Charpentier, Renoir takes no part in the Fourth Group Exhibition. Meets the diplomat Paul Berard, who invites him for the summer to his home at Wargemont, near Berneval on the Channel coast.

1880- Stays at Croissy, an island in the Seine near Bougival, at an inn run by "la mere Fournaise," where he begins "The Luncheon of the Boathing Paarty." for which his wife-to-be, Aline Charigot, is one of the models.

Aline Charigot

1881- Travels to Algeria in the spring, and stays at Wargemont during the summer. Leaves for Italy in the autumn, visiting Venice, Florence, Rome Naples, Pompeii.

1882- Palermo: "Porraint of Wagner." On the way back he visits Cezzane at L'Estiaqe, where he catches pneumonia. Vonvaleses at Algiers. Seventh Group Exhibition.

Paul Cezzane

1883- One-man show in April, arranged by Durand-Duel: Duret prefaces the catalogue. Summer in Guernsey. A trip with Monet in December from Marseilles to Genoa: they visit Cezanne at L'Estaque. Reads Cennino Cennni's treatise on painting. " The Umgrellas." (Death of Manet)

1884- Breaks with Impressionism and reverts to line. Begins "Les Grandes Baigneuses." Summer trip to La Rochelle, Where Corot had painted.

1885- Birth of his first son, Pierre. Summer stays at Wargemont, then at La-Roche-Guyon with Cezanne. Autumn at Essoyes, in the Champagne country, his wife's home. Successful Impressionist Exhibition at New York, organized by Durand-Ruel.

Durand-Ruel.

1888- End of Renoir's Harsh Period. Stays with Cezanne at the Jas de Bouffan, then at Mariques in the winter. In December his face is partially paralyzed.

1889- Revisits Cezanne, then stays at Montbriand, near Zix.

1890- Foregoing emphatic line work, Renoir adopts the freer, richer style that characterizes his Irdescent Period. Sudio at 11 Boulevard de Cichy, Paris. Three week stay in the summer with Berthe Morisot at Mezy.

1891- Trip in the winter to Tamaris, then to Lavandou. Short stay at Mezy in the summer.

1892 Trip to Spain with Gallimared. One-man show at Durand-Ruel's; sells his first picture to the State. Summer stays in Brittany, at Pont-Aven, Pornic, Noirmoutiers.

1893- Winter at Beaulieu. Summer at Point-Aven, then at Benerville with the Gallimards.

1894- Death of Caillebotte, who leaves his collection of Impressionist pictures to the State. But Renoir, his executor, only succeeds in having a part of them accepted. Another summer stay with the Gallimards, then at Essoyes. Birth of his second son, Jean. Lives in an old house in Montmatre known as the Chateau des Brouillards. Studeio in the Rue Tourlaque.

Gustave Caillebott

1895 Staying in the South of France, he returns to Paris at the news of Berthe Morisot's death. Summer in Brittany, at Pont-Aven, then at Treboul on the Bay of Douarnenez. Also works at Louveciennes, near Paris.

1896- Death of his mother. His enthusiasm for Wagner wanes after a trip to Bayreuth. Lives in the Rue de La Rochefoucauld.

1897- Summer at Berneval, then at Essoyess, where he breaks his arm.

1898- Stays at Berneval, then at Essoyes, where he buys a house. First severe attack of arthritis in December.

1899 Winter at Cagness, near Cannes. Rents a house at Saint-Cloud, near Paris, for the summer, then takes a cure at Aix-les-Bains. (Death of Sisley.)

Alfred Sisley

1900- Winter at Magagnosc, near Grasse. Summer at Louveciennes and Essoyes. Takespart in the large-scale art exhibition at the Paris World's Fair.

1901- Winter at Magagnosc. Birth of his third son, Claude, nicknamed Coco. another course of treatment at Aix-les-Bains.

1902- Settles at Le Cannet, near Cannes.

1903- Winter at Le Cannet, then he moves back to Cagnes, living in the Maison de la Poste, Summer at Essoyes.

1904- Course of treatment at Bourbonne-les-Bains. Retropesctive Exhibition of Renoirs's work at the Salon d'Automme.

1905-1909- His arthritis grows worse. Settles for good at Cagnes, where he buys a plot of ground known as "Les Collettes" and builds a house. Bisits Essoyes and Paris each summer. (Death of Cezzane.)

1910- His health takin a turn for the better, he makes a trip to Munich.

1912- Partially paralyzed and confined to a wheel chair, he paints with the brush strapped to his hand.

1914-1915 His two sons Pierre and Jean are both badly wounded early in the war. Death of Madame Renoir.

1919- After summering at Essoyes, he visits the Louvre in his wheel chair, where he watches the hanging of his own "Portrait of Madamme Charpentier" and sees Veronese's "Marriage at Cana," thus fulfilling a long-felt desire.. Renoir died at Cagnes on December 3.

Some Renoir Paintings. (See Metropolitan Museum of Art New York) on this blog for more paintings by him.