Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French, 18411919) is one of the most well-loved painters in the history of modern art. After exhibiting with the Impressionists in the 1870s and early 1880s, Renoir went on to paint for three more decades, focusing on the bucolic landscapes of the south of France, idealized bathing groups, scenes of his family, and portraiture. His paintings are charming and accessible, yet often boldly experimental, with loose brushstrokes and unexpected compositional arrangements. Renoirs mastery of color and facility in the handling of paint won him the admiration of his peers, including Henri Matisse, and continue to astonish us today.