Marcus Chen
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French artist and a leading painter in the development of Impressionism. He is known for his bold use of watercolours, oil paintings, and drawings celebrating the female figure, as well as his depictions of Parisian life. Renoir's paintings often feature portraits of friends and family, landscapes, and scenes from the parks and gardens of Paris. He was inspired by the work of the Old Masters, such as Rubens and Titian, and incorporated classical elements into his compositions. Interestingly, Renoir himself posed as a model for another famous painter, Claude Monet, in his Claude Monet Painting in His Garden at Argenteuil. In addition, Renoir's early works included portraits of his contemporaries, including Frédéric Bazille, The Painter Sisley, and His Wife.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Pierre-Auguste Renoir |
| Birth Date | 25 February 1841 |
| Birth Place | Limoges, France |
| Father's Name | Léonard Renoir |
| Father's Occupation | Tailor |
| Spouse | Aline Charigot |
| Number of Children | 3 sons |
| Notable Paintings | Luncheon of the Boating Party, Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, The Umbrellas, Portrait of Mademoiselle Romaine Lancry, La Grenouillère, Claude Monet Painting at His Garden in Argenteuil, The Skiff, Diana |
| Known Models | Lise Tréhot, Aline Charigot, Edmond Renoir, Nina Lopez, Paul-Auguste Lhote, Suzanne Valadon |
| Known For | Impressionist paintings, bold use of watercolor and oil, celebration of the female figure, depictions of modern Parisian life |
| Death Date | 3 December 1919 |
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What You'll Learn
Lise Tréhot, Renoir's mistress and model
Lise Tréhot modelled for Pierre-Auguste Renoir from 1866 until 1872, during his early Salon period. She was introduced to Renoir by her sister's lover, artist Jules Le Cœur, possibly in June 1865. Tréhot began modelling for Renoir when she was about eighteen and he was twenty-five. She is thought to have appeared in over twenty paintings by Renoir during this period, including notable works such as Lise with a Parasol (1867) and In Summer (1868). She was the model for almost all of Renoir's female figures at this time.
Tréhot is believed to have given birth to Renoir's child, a boy named Pierre, on 14 December 1868. On 21 July 1870, she gave birth to a baby girl named Jeanne, who was given to a wet nurse to raise as her own. However, little is known about the exact nature of Tréhot's relationship with Renoir.
Art critic Zacharie Astruc described Tréhot in Lise as "the likeable Parisian girl in the woods", and as a working-class girl. Émile Zola also approved, comparing Tréhot to Monet's model and later wife, Camille Doncieux. French art critic Théodore Duret observed that Renoir's Lise, due to its derivation from Gustave Courbet's technique, did not provoke definite opposition at the Salon. However, Renoir's decision to shadow Tréhot's face in darkness and emphasise the reflection of sunlight from her white dress in Lise led several critics to ridicule her appearance.
In 1883, more than a decade after Tréhot stopped modelling for Renoir, she married architect Georges Brière de l'Isle and raised four children. She bequeathed two of Renoir's paintings, Lise Sewing (1867–68) and Lise in a White Shawl (1872), to her children. She died in Paris in 1922, at the age of 73.
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Nina Lopez, model for 'The Loge'
Nina Lopez was a model for Pierre-Auguste Renoir's painting "The Loge". Renoir was a French artist and a leading painter in the development of Impressionism. He was known for his warm and intimate scenes, often of people, particularly young women, in sunlit settings. He was inspired by the style and subject matter of modern painters such as Camille Pissarro and Édouard Manet, as well as the classical artists Raphael, Veronese, and Tiepolo.
"The Loge" was painted by Renoir in the 1870s and is considered the first depiction of the subject matter on canvas. The painting shows a woman sitting in a theatre box, with a man standing behind her. The woman in the painting is Nina Lopez, and the man is Renoir's brother, Edmond. The painting is a fine example of Renoir's interest in modern life, or "la vie moderne", and his use of glowing colour and soft brushwork.
Lopez was not the only model to pose for Renoir. Lise Tréhot, the artist's mistress, modelled for several of his paintings, including "Diana" (1867). In his later work, Renoir's models included Aline Charigot and his friend Paul Lhôte, who posed for "Dance in the Country" (Danse à la Campagne).
Renoir's paintings continue to be celebrated and exhibited. "The Loge" is one of his most famous works, and it showcases his unique style and interest in modern life. Nina Lopez, as the model for the central figure, played a key role in bringing Renoir's vision to life.
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Paul-Auguste Lhote, Renoir's best friend
Paul-Auguste Lhote was a friend of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, the French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. Renoir's paintings are notable for their vibrant light and saturated colour, most often focusing on people in intimate and candid compositions. He was inspired by the style and subject matter of modern painters like Camille Pissarro and Édouard Manet.
Lhote posed as a model for Renoir in several paintings. One of these is "Dance at Bougival", which depicts two dancers surrounded by a lively scene of café-goers. Lhote modelled for the man in the painting, with Suzanne Valadon as the female dancer. The painting is one of Renoir's most famous works, currently held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of three large-scale paintings depicting two dance partners that Renoir completed in 1882 and 1883. The other two are "La Danse à la compagne" and "La Danse à la ville".
Another painting featuring Lhote is "Dance in the Country", which depicts a couple dancing under a chestnut tree. Lhote is the man, and the woman is Aline Charigot, who later became Renoir's wife. This painting is held at the Musée d’Orsay. Lhote also wrote a story set in Montmartre that features a scene extremely similar to that depicted in "Dance at Bougival".
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Aline Charigot, Renoir's wife and model
Aline Charigot, born on 23 May 1859, was the wife of the French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. She was also Renoir's model for a long period, from 1880 to 1915. Charigot was from Essoyes, a village in the deep south of the Champagne region. She had a difficult start in life as her father abandoned her family when she was a baby, leaving her mother without any means of support. Her mother moved away, and Charigot was raised by her aunt and uncle. Charigot moved to Paris in 1874, where she worked as a dressmaker. She met Renoir in 1879 or 1880 when she was around 20 years old, and they soon became lovers. Charigot modelled for Renoir during the period when he was developing his Impressionist style, and she is pictured in many of his paintings, including the famous Luncheon of the Boating Party (1880-1882). In this painting, she is the woman on the left with the little dog. She also modelled for Blonde Bather (1881) and Dance in the Country (1883).
Charigot and Renoir had three sons: Pierre, born in 1885, who became an actor; Jean, born in 1894, who became a filmmaker and author; and Claude, born in 1901, who became a ceramic artist. The couple married in 1890, and in the same year, they bought a house in Charigot's hometown of Essoyes. In 1903, they moved to Cagnes-sur-Mer, where they built a new house, Les Collettes, between 1905 and 1909. Charigot supervised the household staff, including the family's nanny and muse, Gabrielle Renard, who was her cousin. She also shared Renoir's love of the arts, playing the piano and decorating her bedroom with paintings.
After Renoir developed rheumatoid arthritis, Charigot cared for him until her death from a heart attack in 1915. She predeceased her husband by four years. After her death, Renoir created a terracotta sculpture of her as a maquette for a monument for her grave, and a bronze bust was placed by her tomb near Cagnes-sur-Mer.
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Claude Monet, fellow painter
Oscar-Claude Monet, a French Impressionist painter, was a friend and contemporary of Pierre-Auguste Renoir. They often painted alongside each other and their art influenced each other. Monet is known for his impressionist paintings, which similarly to Renoir's, portrayed landscapes and leisure activities. Monet's philosophy was to capture an image as he saw it, even if that didn't mean with complete accuracy.
Monet and Renoir were both founding members of Impressionism, along with Edouard Manet, Théodore Rousseau, and Jean-François Millet. In 1874, after a series of rejections by Salon juries, Renoir joined forces with Monet, Sisley, and Pissarro to mount the First Impressionist Exhibition, in which Renoir displayed six paintings.
Monet and Renoir shared a desire to paint directly in nature, which led them to inadvertently jumpstart Impressionism. They wanted to capture the essence of fleeting light through sporadic strokes, a technique that came to be known as portraying light and shadow in natural ways, using broken brush strokes. Renoir's paintings, however, were considered more elegant in their execution of this technique.
Monet and Renoir's methods and outputs were considered scandalous and unorthodox at the time compared to traditional techniques. This caused Renoir's and Monet's work to receive criticism and backlash. Despite this, Monet and Renoir persevered and continued to refine their style, with Monet focusing on landscapes and fleeting light, and Renoir gravitating towards people, especially young women in sunlit scenes.
Renoir painted Monet in "Claude Monet Painting at His Garden in Argenteuil".
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Frequently asked questions
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French artist and a leading painter in the development of Impressionism. He was born in Limoges, France, in 1841 and died in Cagnes-sur-Mer on December 3, 1919.
Renoir painted Claude Monet, another famous painter known for his impressionist paintings, in "Claude Monet Painting at His Garden in Argenteuil".
Renoir's models included Lise Tréhot, his mistress and companion for seven years, and Aline Charigot, who became his wife in 1890. His brother Edmond, his friend Paul Lhôte, and model Nina Lopez also posed for his paintings.
Renoir's paintings are known for their vibrant light and saturated colours, often featuring people, especially young women, in intimate and candid compositions. He was particularly interested in capturing the beauty of the female form and the effects of light in the natural world.
