Born in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France, Renoir studying with Charles Gleyre in Paris beginning in 1862. In Paris he met Alfred Sisley, Frederic Bazille and Claude Monet. His paintings were included in the first Impressionist exhibition of 1874, and he was taken up by the Parisian dealer Durand-Ruel. In 1881, he traveled to Algeria, a country he associated with Eugène Delacroix, then to Madrid, to see the work of Diego Velázquez. In later life Renoir suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and moved to the warmer climate of the Mediterranean coast. His initial paintings show the influence of the colorism of Eugène Delacroix and the luminosity of Camille Corot. In the late 1860s, working with his friend, Claude Monet out of doors he came to develop his mature impressionist style. Nudes were also a primary subject.
