Portrait de Wagner In 1882 Renoir was in Capri, where he received a communication from an important publisher telling him that, since he was in Italy, he should take the opportunity to meet Wagner, who was in Palermo, in order to make a portrait of the great musician, who was busy writing the score of Parsifal. Given Wagner's great popularity, the publisher intended to make a print run of graphics from this portrait by Renoir, which was sure to be a big hit with the Parisian public. Renoir then traveled to Palermo, where he had to wait a couple of days before being admitted to Wagner's presence. The pose lasted a total of 35 minutes, as Renoir wrote in a letter. The result was satisfactory, and from this Sicilian trip of Renoir's, in addition to some letters, we have an oil painting and the print run of graphics, a specimen of which is on display.