Renoir was a man of great charm and capacity for enjoyment; a painter who had, and was not ashamed to admit to, a certain sensuous facility, but who combined this with a very characteristic fastidiousness.
Although Renoir painted in many styles during his early periods, his visit to La Grenouillére with Monet in the late 1860s saw the development of his painting style. In 1864 Renoir sent a painting to the Salon for the first time, where it was accepted and where he exhibited his works in 1865, 1869, 1870, and 1872. When two of his paintings were rejected in 1873, Renoir was stimulated to persevere in a new direction with fellow young artists and take part in the first Impressionists Exhibition in 1874. Renoir also exhibited at the exhibitions in 1876 and 1877 with Monet, Manet, Pissarro, Sisley, Berthe Morisot, and others.
Etchings and lithographs by Renoir are not in abundance. They all have qualities of grace and freshness. He made a total of 25 etchings, drypoints, and soft ground etchings, as catalogued by Loys Delteil in 1923. In his catalogue, Delteil lists a total of 30 lithographs and transfer lithographs. The majority of his graphic works were commissioned by friends or book publishers and Renoir exhibited the same talent for delicate touch and fine lines in his graphic works that he exhibited in his paintings.
He was still painting - it was a flower piece - on the morning of the day he dies. It is reported that when he went to put down his brush he said, "I feel I've learnt something today."
