Pierre-Auguste Renoir

The nine-year-old Renoir was offered free vocal lessons by Gounod. Working in the open air, he met Courbet (an important influence) and Corot in the same year. He also met Monet and Sisley as a student, and Pissarro and Cézanne while still a young man. Both Mallarmé and Monet became lifelong friends, Monet and he painting and exhibiting together. Morisot, Cézanne, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas, Monet and he formed a company and organised their first exhibition in Nadar’s photographic studio. Valadon was one of his models before becoming an artist herself. He painted Wagner’s portrait in 35 minutes.