Born to a working class family in the French town of Limoges, Renoir went on to become one of Europe's most celebrated impressionist painters, with a career spanning 60 years over the 19th and early 20th centuries. He started in a porcelain factory painting designs on fine china, moving on to study art under Charles Gleyre in Paris, and working with the Masters Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley and Frederic Bazille. He won acclaim when six of his paintings were hung in the first Impressionist exhibition. This informative and fascinating new book looks in detail at Renoir's influences, life and works. The first part of the book begins with an examination of his style; it covers Renoir?s techniques and training; painting copies at the Louvre, his time at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts; meeting his muse, Lise Trehot; working with fellow impressionist artists, and his struggles for recognition. The volume investigates his move away from Impressionism, his stay in Guernsey and the changes to his personal life and the way in which these informed his work. It documents his eventual success in the art world and the exhibitions and shows that were to win him fame and critical acclaim. It also considers the devastating series of illnesses and losses that blighted the end of Renoir's long painting career. The second part of the book is a comprehensive gallery showing the artist?s work in 300 glorious pictures, each accompanied by an in-depth analysis of its context within his life, his technique and his body of work as a whole. With its engaging narrative and 500 superb reproductions and photographs, this new book is essential reading for anyone who wishes to know about this enduring artist and to enjoy his greatest works in one wonderful collection.