Renoir's birthday, 25 February 1841
Birth place of Auguste Renoir, Limoges, France.
One day, a long time ago, we went in search of Renoir's birth place. I was particularly keen to find it because the first painting I ever saw was on my first visit to an art exhibition.
It was on a school visit to The National Museum of Wales in Cardiff to see Renoir's The Blue Lady.
Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges.
Not that you’d know it, there was nothing on him in the Tourist Office.
In vain we hunted for his birthplace.
In desperation we approached the state of the art Media Centre. The employee at Information was embarrassed. She couldn’t find it either and kept muttering ‘bizarre’.
Then.
Voila! Paul Renoir. Cinéaste.
Non! Son père. Auguste.
When we finally found his house, we were shocked to see washing drying in one of the windows.
Why is this not a museum?
Renoir, one of seven children, was apprenticed at thirteen to a local porcelain factory owner in Limoges where he decorated plates.
When his father, a tailor, moved with his family to Paris, Renoir took classes in drawing and anatomy at the École des Beaux-Arts.
He also took painting lessons at the studio of Charles Gleyre, a one time student of Ingres, where he became friendly with fellow students Sisley and Monet.
Renoir paid tribute to them in The Painter Sisley and His Wife and Monet Painting in His Garden.
In another workshop he met the young Cézanne and Pissarro. They, like Renoir, wanted to try a new type of art, a non-studio based genre of painting. They took their easels out doors. It became known as Impressionism.
Post by Pamela (BA History of Art). Photography by Mark.
Pamela Shields
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