Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer
Today you can experience the authentic house on the plot of land that Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) bought in 1907. He hired local architect Jules Febvre from Nice to build the spacious residence, which today serves as a museum.
The house stands as it did in Renoir’s time and includes a living room, dining room and his studio with easels and brushes. You can also admire 15 original paintings by the master himself.
Renoir moves to Cagnes-sur-Mer in 1903
Auguste Renoir’s period in the south of France began in Cagnes-sur-Mer, where he first lived in the then Hotel Savournin near the current Place de Gaulle. He later moved to a residence in the town’s post office, which today houses the Hotel de Ville.
While wandering around the area in search of subjects, he discovered Domaine des Collettes – an idyllic little farm surrounded by old olive, pine and orange trees. Here he found peace and inspiration, which led him to buy the property in 1907. It was here that he created Les Grandes Baigneuses, which is now on loan from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris to the Renoir Museum.
The property sits on an eight-hectare plot on a hillside just outside the old town and offers enchanting panoramic views of the countryside and the medieval town of Haut-de-Cagnes.
The Renoir collection at the museum
The fifteen Renoir paintings on display in the house give a broad insight into his favorite subjects. They include his fascination with nudes(Les Cariatides, Les Grandes Baigneuses), portraits(Coco lisant, Madame Pichon) and landscapes, with three works in particular depicting the gardens of the Domaine des Collettes and the surrounding countryside(La Ferme, Paysage aux Collettes, La Vallée de la Cagne et le Baou de Saint-Jeannet).
The collection is also complemented by works by other artists, including Albert André, a close friend of Renoir who often visited him at Domaine des Collettes.
Renoir’s early career: From porcelain painter to artist
Renoir’s artistic talent was already apparent at a young age. At the age of 13, he began painting porcelain in a porcelain factory, and for the next five years he earned enough money to immerse himself in the art of painting.
In 1862, at the age of 21, he traveled to Paris to study art. He became a pupil of Charles Gleyre, but more importantly he met Claude Monet and Alfred Sisley, who became his close friends. Two years later, in 1864, he exhibited his work at the Salon de Paris, but the big breakthrough failed to materialize. The following ten years were characterized by economic challenges, especially as a result of the Franco-Prussian War.
In 1871, Renoir often painted along the banks of the Seine and in the forests of Fontainebleau with his Parisian artist friends, which was a crucial step in his development as an Impressionist.
Renoir’s path to world-renowned artist
Renoir experienced his first major artistic success in 1874 when he participated in the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris, which was also shown in London later that year.
In 1881, he began traveling the world to find new inspiration. He visited Italy to study the works of the Renaissance masters and then traveled to Algeria in the footsteps of Eugène Delacroix. During this trip, he became seriously ill with pneumonia, which permanently weakened his respiratory system. For health reasons, he sought a milder climate and eventually settled in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the Côte d’Azur.
The last years in Cagnes-sur-Mer
In his later years, Renoir suffered from severe arthritis, which forced him into a wheelchair. Despite the severe pain, he continued to paint. The arthritis deformed his hands and shoulders to such an extent that he had to change his painting technique to be able to hold the brush.
A portrait of Renoir, painted by the artist BERT and exhibited in the Renoir Museum, clearly shows how badly his hands were affected by the disease.
Renoir’s last journey and his artistic legacy
Before his death in 1919, Renoir visited the Louvre to see his own works hanging alongside the art of the great masters in the world-famous museum. He was a prolific artist who created thousands of works during his lifetime, including some of the most famous and cherished paintings in art history.
See the Renoir family timeline here: The Renoir Family 1841 to 1960
Renoir Museum website: Musée Renoir
By Tommy Sverre & M. Mortensen – updated 2025
From June to September: 10am-1pm // 2pm-6pm (gardens open from 10am to 6pm).
From October to March: 10am-12pm // 2pm-5pm.
From April to May: 10am-12pm // 2pm-6pm.
Closed on Tuesdays and on 25/12, 01/01 and 01/05.
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