Renoir Landscapes

Chronology (1841–1919)

1841	Renoir is born in Limoges, France on February 25th. He is the sixth of seven children.
1845	The Renoir family moves from Limoges to Paris where Renoir begins attending a drawing school.
1860-2	An art student, Renoir receives permission to paint and draw in the Louvre Museum as well as to consult works on paper at the Bibliothèque nationale.
1861	Renoir studies as a pupil in the master studio of Swiss-born Charles Gleyre (1806-1874).
1862	Renoir is admitted to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, the premier art academy in Paris.
1863	Renoir again receives permission to study works at the Louvre. He begins to concentrate on large-scale figure paintings.
1864	Renoir exhibits at the Salon for the first time. The work shown is a painting called Esmérelda (inspired by Victor Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris).
1865	Renoir, Sisley and Jules Le Coeur rent a house in Marlotte, south-east of Paris, to be used as a meeting place for the three artists and their friends. Two of Renoir’s paintings (one a portrait of Sisley’s father, the other a landscape (now lost) titled Soirée d’été are exhibited at the Salon.
1867	The works of the future Impressionists (Renoir, Bazille, Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, Cézanne and Manet) are all rejected at the annual Salon.
1869	Renoir has one work (En été) accepted at the Salon. While living with his parents in Voisins-Louveciennes, a suburb of Paris, Renoir frequently visits his friends Claude and Camille Monet. Renoir and Monet make several trips to nearby sites, including La Grenouillère, painting side by side.
1870	Renoir has two works accepted at the Salon (a landscape with women and a painting of an Algerian woman). Renoir is called to active military duty to fight in the Franco-Prussian War. During the next year, while still in service, he becomes ill with dysentery.
1874	Renoir exhibits seven paintings in the first Impressionist Exhibition. Renoir visits Monet in Argenteuil, a suburb of Paris, where he paints together with Monet and Manet.
1875	Renoir paints city views of the neighborhood near his Paris studio, including Les Grands Boulevards.
1876	Renoir rents a house with a garden on the rue Cortot in the Montmartre section of Paris. The garden becomes the setting for many plein-air paintings including Garden in the rue Cortot, Montmartre. Renoir exhibits 17 paintings and one pastel drawing in the second Impressionist Exhibition. Renoir travels to Champrosay to visit the novelist and playwright Alphonse Daudet who commissions him to paint a portrait of his wife, Julia Allard Daudet. Renoir also paints The Seine at Champrosay during this visit.
1877	The third Impressionist Exhibition is held. Renoir exhibits 21 works, including five landscapes. Two of these landscapes are identified as The Seine at Champrosay and Garden in the rue Cortot, Montmartre.
1878	Renoir’s painting Le Café is accepted at the Salon.
1879	The fourth Impressionist exhibition is held. Renoir and Sisley do not show any works in the exhibition. Renoir has four works accepted to the Salon including Madame Charpentier and her Children which receives much acclaim. A solo exhibition of Renoir’s works is shown in Paris.
1880	The fifth Impressionist Exhibition is held. Renoir, Sisley, Monet and Cézanne do not participate. Renoir has two works accepted at the Salon.
1881	Art dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel begins to make regular purchases of Renoir’s paintings. Renoir travels to Algeria and, later in the year, to Italy where he visits Venice, Padua, Florence, Rome, the Vatican, Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, Calabria and Capri. He paints many landscapes during his travels. Renoir also travels within France to Chatou, Dieppe and Wargemont. The sixth Impressionist Exhibition is held. Renoir, Monet and Sisley do not exhibit. Renoir exhibits two portraits at the Salon.
1882	Renoir wraps up his trip to Italy with visits to Monreale, Palermo and another visit to Naples. On his return to France, Renoir stops in L’Estaque where he visits Cézanne and paints several landscapes. Renoir writes to his dealer, Durand-Ruel, to express his refusal to participate in the seventh Impressionist Exhibition. The seventh Impressionist Exhibition is held. Durand-Ruel submits 25 paintings by Renoir (including ten landscapes) against the artist’s wishes. Renoir makes a second trip to Algeria. A portrait by Renoir is exhibited in the Salon. Renoir makes a lengthy trip to visit friends, including Monet, in the region of Normandy. During his visit he paints many landscapes and views of the sea.
1883	An exhibition of 70 paintings by Renoir is held at the Galerie Durand-Ruel in Paris. Later the same year nine of Renoir’s paintings are among the Impressionist works shown in an exhibition in London. Renoir travels to the British islands of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel. Renoir makes about 15 paintings on this trip including several seascapes. Renoir and Monet travel together along the French and Italian Riviera, painting and sketching. The artists also pay a visit to their friend Cézanne.
1885	Aline Charigot, Renoir’s companion, gives birth to son Pierre (who becomes a famous stage and film actor).
1886	An exhibition of works by Renoir is shown at the Durand-Ruel Gallery in New York City. Eighth and final Impressionist Exhibition is held. Again, Renoir does not participate.
1888	An attack of rheumatoid arthritis paralyzes part of Renoir’s face.
1890	Renoir marries Aline Charigot, his long time companion and model for many of his paintings since 1879. Renoir exhibits a painting at the Salon. It will be his final appearance.
1892	A large retrospective of Renoir is shown at the Galerie Durand-Ruel in Paris.
1894	Aline gives birth to a second son Jean (who becomes a film director).
1900	Renoir is awarded the Legion of Honor medal, the highest award given by France, for service to his country. A major exhibition of Renoir’s works is shown in New York City.
1901	Aline gives birth to a third son Claude (who becomes a cinematographer).
1904	Renoir moves from Paris to the French Riviera.
1910	Renoir uses a wheelchair at all times because of severe arthritis. He continues to paint using brushes tied to his hands.
1915	Aline dies.
1919	Renoir dies at the age of 78.