In 1862, while in Paris, Bazille studied Impressionism at Charles Gleyre's studio. This is where he met Monet and Renoir with whom he became life long friends. Bazille was the godfather of Claude Monet's son Jean.

In the mid 1880's Renoir and Bazille stepped out of the norm of small scale paintings and began to paint large canvases of figures and facets of urban life, suggesting that painting should record human actions, manners and customs.

Bazille's style of painting was sometimes rejected by the Salon. He typically painted figures in uncomfortable positions. The painting of La Toilette, for this reason perhaps, was denied into the Salon in 1870.

When Bazille painted Reunion de Famille, he purchased Femme au Jardin from Monet. Femme au Jardin had been rejected by the Salon and Monet could not find a buyer at that time. After Bazille died unexpectedly, his father found that Manet had purchased a portrait of Bazille from Renoir. Bazille's father offered to buy the painting from Manet in exchange for the Femme au Jardin. Manet agreed, but later, after a disagreement, Manet returned the Femme au Jardin to Monet. Later, Monet sold the Femme au Jardin to the Musees Nationaux in 1921.

Bazille died in the Franco-Prussian War on November 28, 1870.

Paintings by Frederic Bazille

• Self Portrait with Pallete - 1865
• Still Life with Fish - 1865
• Le Petit Jardinier - 1866 - 67
• Pots de fleurs, Flower Piece- 1866
• Reunion de Famille - 1867
• Terrasse Meric - 1867
• Summer Scene - 1869
• L'Atelier de Bazille rue de las Condamine - 1870
• La Toilette - 1870