 Gallery for Renoir |
| Pierre Auguste Renoir |
| Renoir was one of the leading
painters of the Impressionist group.He evolved a technique of broken brushstrokes and used
bold combinations of pure complementary colours,to capture the light and movement of his
landscapes and figure subjects.After a visit to Italy in 1881 his style changed,becoming
more linear and classical. Renoir was born in Limoges in south-west France in 1841,where he began to work as a painter on porcelain.He moved to Paris,joining the studio of the fashionable painter Charles Gleyre around 1861-1862.He was influenced by Courbet then.He encountered other painters in Paris,notably Monet.Later in 1869 he and Monet worked together sketching on the Seine.From then Renoir began to use lighter colours. In about 1880s Renoir travelled abroad,visiting Italy,Holland,Spain,England,Germany and North Africa.He was deeply attracted by the works of Raphael,Velasquez and Rubens,the latter's influence many be seen in his works. Renoir painted landscapes,portraits,still lifes,and groups of figures in scenes of modern life.In later life he mostly painted nude figures.His works seems always to be about pleasurable occasions,and reveals no great seriousness in his subjects.He apparently shocked his teacher by saying,"if painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not to do it". |