Happy Birthday, Pierre-Auguste Renoir!

 

Today, we celebrate the birthday of Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), one of the most beloved Impressionist painters. And what better way to honor him than by diving into one of his most fascinating masterpieces – The Large Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses).

Created between 1884 and 1887, The Large Bathers shows a dreamy, sunlit scene of women enjoying a lazy day by the water. Two women sit at the pond’s edge, chatting and relaxing, while a third stands, playfully about to splash them. More figures linger in the background, blending into the lush landscape. Renoir worked three years on this piece, he made countless sketches before finalizing this painting, and we can tell he was aiming for something special – a mix of soft Impressionist beauty with the grandeur of classical art.

Renoir did not just imagine these figures—he had real-life muses who helped bring this painting to life.
Aline Charigot – The seated blonde woman is none other than Renoir’s future wife. She was a frequent model for him, and you can feel his affection in the way he painted her.
Suzanne Valadon – The woman standing and about to splash the others was a popular model and an artist herself. She later became a celebrated painter, and right now, there is a Suzanne Valadon exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, running from January 15 to May 26, 2025.

Renoir was not just painting pretty scenes – he was experimenting. After a trip to Italy, he fell in love with Renaissance art and decided to blend his soft, flowing Impressionist style with the structured elegance of the Old Masters. As a result, we see a painting that looks part dreamy, part sculptural, and totally unique.

When Renoir unveiled The Large Bathers in 1887, reactions were… mixed. Some people loved it, others were confused by his shift in style. But over time, it has become one of his most important works, now proudly displayed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.