French Impressionism - Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Born February 25, 1841, Limoges, France—
Died December 3, 1919, Cagnes

Believed in impressionism along with Monet and others. Some of his finest works were completed when associated with the group. However, in later years he broke away towards more disciplined and formal works, especially with woman.



Probably his masterpiece would be Bal du moulin de la Galette
as shown here. The painting depicts a typical Sunday afternoon at Moulin de la Galette in the district of Montmartre in Paris. In the late 19th century, working class Parisians would dress up and spend time there dancing, drinking, and eating galettes into the evening.



In fact, Renoir painted a smaller version of this painting but it is not known which size was painted first.

( 131 cm × 175 cm (52 in × 69 in) The smaller version
measured (78 cm × 114 cm (31 in × 45 in)


Some more works by Renoir:







For more bio information on Renoir see:
http://www.biography.com/articles/Pierre-Auguste-Renoir-9455662?part=0

French Impressionism - Edgar Degas

Edgar-Hilaire-Germain Degas

Born Paris, France 19 July 1834

Died Paris, France 27 September 1917

Degas stood out not only as an independent, but as a supremely aloof and inaccessible man. He studied painting with Louis Lamothe, a pupil of Ingress. He felt that the crucial factor in painting was the artist's intelligence.

Degas was descended from aristocracy. His father was a banker and his mother came from a French family that emigrated to Louisiana. Like his friend Manet, with whom he shared a common social background as well as a reverence for the Old Masters, Degas had turned to painting from the study of law.

Some of Degas's works.


For more bio on Degas: http://www.biography.com/articles/Edgar-Degas-9269770