How did Cennino Cennini’s A Treatise on Painting reinforce Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s changing ideas?

During a period of artistic crisis in the early 1880s, Pierre-Auguste Renoir began to doubt the sufficiency of Impressionism and its focus on ephemeral effects. His discovery of Cennino Cennini’s A Treatise on Painting (also known as Il libro dell’arte) arrived at a pivotal moment, reinforcing his shifting perspective toward Classicism.1

Cennini’s work helped validate Renoir's growing interest in the importance of drawing, clear lines, and the expressive power of smooth painting—techniques that contrasted with the small, broken brushstrokes of his earlier Impressionist style. By emphasizing these traditional methods, the treatise supported Renoir's transition into what art historians call his "Ingres" or "dry" period, during which he prioritized volume, form, and defined contours over the spontaneous color application he had previously pursued.1