Frederic Bazille’s Bazille’s Studio is a record of five friends just trying to make it in the art world.

Seriously, this is like a portrait of cool people before they reached the upper layers of stardom. It all started in Paris, when Bazille enrolled in art lessons after deciding against a career in medicine and became fast friends with budding Impressionists Renoir, Monet, and Alfred Sisley. His life, and all the possibilities that were, came to an end when Bazille went to fight in the Franco-Prussian War, and Monet sought refuge in England. But in between, there were memories to be made.

Bazille’s Studio shows us the five colleagues. Monet, Manet, Renoir, musician Edmond Maire, and novelist Emile Zola. Apparently, Bazille’s networking skills were out of this world, knowing everybody worth knowing in the art world, including Degas, Courbet, and Pissarro. These guys were in their twenties and were eager to amaze Paris with their talents. They were also a tight group of friends, helping each other out. 

Bazille’s studio in Bazille’s Studio was located at 9 Rue de la Condamine. Renoir had a room there. Renoir didn’t have money to rent his own until 1870, and even then he continued to use Bazille’s studio as a warehouse, storing his paintings for long periods of time. Meanwhile, Monet had been hanging around Bazille since 1864, and the two artists previously shared a studio on the rue de Furstenberg.

These artist friends helped one another by buying canvases and pigments. When Monet went through a tough money situation, Bazille lent a hand by buying some of his paintings. Bazille had the luxury of lending money as he came from a wealthy family. Apparently it was a good thing to be friends with him. One of the purchased Monet’s hangs on the wall of Bazille’s Studio, as well as a Renoir. These paintings were rejected by the Salon. Monet and Bazille had plans to hold their own independent exhibition away from the grubby hands of the establishment.

But unfortunately, shortly after Bazille’s Studio was finished in 1870, Bazille enlisted as a Zouave in hopes of breaking the Paris siege. He died on the battlefield at the age of 28.