I learned that Renoir's circle of friends included the famous Impressionistic painters Monet, Baxille and Sisley. All of them attended the Gleyre Academy and spent time painting together. Imagine that master-mind group!
Portrait of Claude Monet
1875
Oil
Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France
Later in his life, Renoir developed a friendship with Cezanne and the two of them painted similar subjects together.
Oil
1889
Montagne Sainte-Victoire
Oil
1889
Pierre-Auguste Renoir had already attained some measure of success as a portrait painter before exhibiting in the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris, 1974. He was only 33 years old at the time. Although Renoir's paintings have been classified as Impressionistic, he was always searching for new means of expression and his style during the period of the 1870's varies so much that Renoir's Impressionism, unlike Monet's, has no clear indisputable identity. Renoir quit showing with the Impressionists for several years until the seventh Impressionist show of 1882.
I cherish my artist friends and enjoy passionate discussion of art. I can only imagine how the friendships among these masters might have evolved.
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