1915. Sur la Côte d’Azur. Au crépuscule de sa vie, Auguste Renoir est éprouvé par la perte de son épouse, les douleurs du grand âge, et les mauvaises nouvelles venues du front : son fils Jean est blessé… Mais une jeune fille, Andrée, apparue dans sa vie comme un miracle, va insuffler au vieil homme une énergie qu’il n’attendait plus. Éclatante de vitalité, rayonnante de beauté, Andrée sera le dernier modèle du peintre, sa source de jouvence. Lorsque Jean, revenu blessé de la guerre, vient passer sa convalescence dans la maison familiale, il découvre à son tour, fasciné, celle qui est devenue l’astre roux de la galaxie Renoir. Et dans cet éden Méditerranéen, Jean, malgré l’opposition ronchonne du vieux peintre, va aimer celle qui, animée par une volonté désordonnée, insaisissable, fera de lui, jeune officier velléitaire et bancal, un apprenti cinéaste…

Pierre-Auguste Renoir is known and loved for his impressionist paintings of Paris. These paintings count among the world’s favourites. Renoir, however, grew tired of this style and changed course. This film, based on the collection of 181 Renoirs at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia,– examines the direction he then took and why it provokes such extreme reactions right up to today. Some claim they are repulsed by Renoir’s later works and some claim they are seduced. What may surprise many is that among the many artists who sought Renoir’s new works out and were clearly highly influenced by them were the two giants of the 20th century – Picasso and Matisse.

Pierre August Renoir's brilliant Le Moulin de la Gallette created immense controversy in its day. Famous for his use of hot reds, orange and gold to portray nudes in sunlight, Renoir's later life was blighted by arthritis, which crippled his hands. This fascinating story of a man and his work includes a visit to the artist's home.

1950 Belgian short documentary by Paul Haesaerts