Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges, France, the sixth child of Léonard Renoir and Marguerite Merlet. His family settled in Paris in 1845 where his father earned a living as a tailor.
At the age of 13, Renoir left school and began an apprenticeship as a porcelain painter, painting flowers on china in a factory. During his spare time, he took drawing classes, and in 1860 began studying in the studio of Charles Gleyre where he met Monet, Sisley and Bazille, the future founders of Impressionism.

Around this same time, Renoir was also granted permission to copy at the Louvre, where he was inspired by the 18th century masters such as Boucher, Fragonard and Watteau. In April 1862 he was admitted into the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, where he studied for a number of years before leaving to work with his newfound Impressionist friends.
In 1867, Renoir, after several attempts, has a painting accepted at the Salon. He continues to paint every day, and in 1869 moves in with Monet at Bazille's house.
His direct influence from working with Monet helped evolve his technique of using little brushstrokes and working with vibrant colors. Bazille, Monet and Renoir worked closely and painted often, sharing new techniques and subjects.

Though the young artists did have financial problems, they pushed forward with their artistic careers. Monet and Renoir spent the summer of 1869 at Bougival, an exclusive retreat near Paris. They painted together every day, often working side by side on the same scene. Renoir wrote about himself and Monet to his friend Bazille, stating: "Although we don't eat every day, I am still quite cheerful".

By the 1870s, Renoir's technique reached its peak. While capturing the fleeting effect of light and color, his paintings were getting more complex and required many studies; he worked on the same canvas for weeks and even sometimes months in a row, changing, adding or removing figures to the setting. He also participated in the Impressionist exhibitions of 1874, 1876, 1877 and 1882.

In 1880, Renoir meets Aline Charigot, whom he marries in 1890, and soon has his first solo exhibition in Paris in 1883. Two years later his first son Pierre is born, followed by Jean in 1894 and Claude in 1901. Renoir’s paintings were now becoming widely accepted and he discovered financial freedom for the first time in his life.

During the last two decades of his life, Renoir suffered from severe arthritis. Unable to move his hands freely, he would have a brush strapped to his arm to allow him to paint. In 1913, he even began to work with sculpture, directing assistants to use their hands to create what his could no longer do. Still painting from his wheelchair, brush strapped to his disfigured hand, Renoir died at his house in Cagne on December 3rd, 1919 at the age of seventy eight.