French artist Auguste Renoir was one of the founding members of the impressionist movement. He is known for his soft, vividly colored landscapes and paintings of women. Renoir was born in Limoges, France, in 1841, and his family moved to Paris when he was a child.

Along with contemporaries such as Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, Renoir participated in the first impressionist exhibition in 1874. Though the exhibition was controversial, Renoir’s work was well received, and he was successful in the Parisian art world.

Among his notable works is the 1876 painting A Girl with a Watering Can, which demonstrates the painter’s light, delicate style. By 1878, Renoir had distanced himself from the impressionist movement. He developed a new artistic approach, drawing inspiration from classical and Renaissance art. Renoir died in 1919 at age 78.