Pierre-Auguste Renoir was an emblematic painter of the impressionist movement, did you know that he had taken up residence in Cagnes-sur-mer ?

An intimate atmosphere

An emblematic painter of Impressionism, but also a sculptor, Pierre-Auguste Renoir lived for many years at the Domaine des Collettes in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the Côte d’Azur. The visit to the Renoir Museum, established in this residence, allows you to discover the atmosphere in which the artist lived during his last years. The exhibited works, but also the rooms where the painter and sculptor lived and worked, make this museum an exceptional place, with an intimate atmosphere.

He bought The Domaine des Collettes

The painter discovered Cagnes-sur-Mer in 1903, while on his way to Italy. Fallen under the spell of the gardens composed of olive and orange trees, he bought in 1907 the “Domaine des Collettes”, a vast property of several hectares. The farmhouse present on the spot finding no favor in the eyes of Aline, his wife, Auguste Renoir had built, on the plans of the architect Jules Febvre, a vast bourgeois house in neo-Provençal style, accompanied by two artist’s studios , where he settled in the fall of 1908. Surrounded by his family, his wife and his three children Claude, Jean and Pierre, he never left the Côte d’Azur. The artist painted and sculpted there for eleven years, until his death in 1919, at the age of 78. His domain is an essential source of inspiration, and it greatly influences his last period, also called the Cagnoise period. The villa is also a place of intellectual, artistic, cultural and worldly effervescence. Renoir received the greatest there: Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso…

The museum houses fifteen Renoir paintings

On the death of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, the property was bequeathed to his son Claude. He lived there until 1960. In 1959, the estate hosted the filming of Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, a feature film directed by his son Jean. In 1960, the city of Cagnes-sur-Mer bought the property to establish a museum there to discover the living environment that was that of the artist for nearly 12 years. This buyout allowed the premises to be preserved. The villa has escaped urbanization and retains remarkable gardens on the heights of Cagnes-sur-Mer. The park and gardens are open to the public and also host exhibition spaces and sculptures. The flowers, palm trees, olive trees of the estate also offer visitors, adults and children, a welcome place of tranquility. The Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer houses fifteen paintings that retrace the major themes so dear to the artist. The Grandes Baigneuses and the Cariatides represent the nude, Coco reading and Madame Pichon show the painter’s talent for the portrait, the paintings La Ferme, Paysage aux Collettes and the Cagne valley, without forgetting the baou of Saint Jeannet demonstrate the inspiration that the Côte d’Azur provides for the creation of landscapes.

Very intimate works

Other paintings made by third-party painters are presented to the public. The interpretation of the Ball at the Moulin de la Galette by Raoul Dufy is for example a major work of the museum. Sculpture, another artistic expression dear to Auguste Renoir, is given pride of place. Visitors can admire very intimate works, such as the bronzes of two portraits of his son Claude, or the bust of Aline intended for the tomb of his wife. Different nudes are also presented, such as the Judgment of Paris or the Venus Victrix.

Renoir Museum

chemin des Collettes 06800 Cagnes-sur-Mer

Contact +33 (0)4 93 20 61 07 // renoir@cagnes.fr