Psychobiography with Dr Gail Saltz on Renoir with Prof Barbara Ehrlich at 92ndY The Art and the Man

Dr. Gail Saltz is a renown psychiatrist and foremost go to expert on psychological and mental health issues.  Dr. Saltz is prof. of psychiatry and multi-media consultant regarding mental health issues especially pertaining to anxiety disorders, emotional health and relationships.  The 92ndY was fortunate to have Dr. Saltz to discuss Renoir's personality traits and issues with Dr. Barbara Ehrlich, author of "Renoir An Intimate Biography."  Dr. White is also the author of "Renoir, His Life Art & Letters."  Dr. Ehrlich provided an outline of Renoir's life (b France 1841-1919).  He was born into an impoverished family of 5 children.  His father was a tailor & mother a seamstress.  His paternal grandfather an orphan. The family were very poor living in one room struggling to make ends meet.  At a young age, Renoir demonstrated an artistic talent and found work painting ceramics. This was helped support his family.  His passion for art grew & he became determined to make a career as an artist.  He was accepted into the Royal Acad. where he meet Manet and Pissarro. They would remain lifelong friends.  Manet become his mentor & provided Renoir with financial assistance to continue his studies & pursue his art.  Interesting characteristics Dr. Saltz pointed out were Renoir's lifelong struggle with anxiety & a facial tick.  He was a compulsive & prolific painter producing over 4,000 works.  Still, he was indecisive & managed to work as do many talented people with a compulsive/obsessive disorder.  In his 40s Renoir developed debilitating rheumatoid arthritis and still continued to paint daily.  Renoir gave birth to 3 illegitimate children with 2 of his models; 2 sons and a daughter.  He & his wife had 3 sons.  Renoir maintained the secrecy of his illegitimate children from his wife although he maintained a loving presence in her life & bestowed her his surname.  He feared his children out of wedlock would be a social stigma on his life & harm his career & social standing. Dr. Saltz mentioned Renoir was a chain smoker which may have helped soothe some anxiety.  He hated solitude and always wanted to be surrounded by others.  He avoided confrontations and managed to avoid alienating himself from his artistic peers who were anti-establishment while sustaining relationships with art dealers.  Letters written to his daughter were recovered maintaining their relationship.  When Renoir received the French Legion of Honor he wrote Monet an apology letter dismissing the Honor and admitting his need for doing it. The French were very dismissive of Renoir's sloppy strokes while Americans (and his peers) greatly admired his work.  American's eagerness to own Renoir's work shifted France's disdain.  The French museums & patrons felt it important to retain his paintings in France and began clamoring for his art.