Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French painter and one of the founders of Impressionism, best known for warm, joyful scenes of people enjoying life. Born in 1841, he started out painting decorations on porcelain, and that love of pretty, glowing color stayed with him. His famous scenes of Parisians dancing, boating, and chatting in dappled sunlight capture the pleasures of ordinary life with a soft, shimmering touch.

Later in his career he moved away from pure Impressionism toward fuller, rounder figures, painting many nudes and portraits with rich, warm color. Crippling arthritis eventually twisted his hands, yet he kept painting to the end, sometimes with a brush strapped to his fingers. Renoir's sunny, affectionate view of the world has made him one of the most popular of all the Impressionists.