Painter name: Auguste Renoir Form of art belong: Impressionism

Auguste Renoir was the son of a tailor from Limoges. His father moved to Paris in 1845, where the young Renoir was sent to work as an apprentice to a painter in a china-ware factory work, where he learned to imitate the great Rococo painters of the 18th century.

Attracted to the Louvre where he studied the paintings of the old masters, he earned some money by copying 18th century paintings. He attended evening classes, and at the age of 21 he became a member of the studio of M.G.C. Gleyre, where he made friends with Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley and Jean Bazille.

Renoir was influenced by the Barbizon School, as well as Gustave Courbet. However in common with his contemporaries, Renoir was disenchanted with the formal tuition of the studios. His early paintings were not appreciated neither by the critics nor the public. However this was common for all the impressionist artists.

Renoir's artistic progress was interrupted during the Franco- Prussian War, he took up painting again after the fighting stopped. His paintings were created in a highly individual style then.

Renoir was much more concerned with human form rather than nature and landscape. He loved to show the bustling life of Paris. Also the nude female figure became his more common subject.