Algerian woman seated 1882

Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted this “Algerian woman seated” with oil paints, using brushes of varying sizes and degrees of softness to apply the colors to canvas. Look closely, and you'll see how Renoir has used color, tone and directional brushwork to render the textures of skin, fabric, and cushion. While the overall effect is luminous and sensuous, the materiality of the paint itself also plays a part. You can see how Renoir layered the paint, sometimes wet-on-wet, to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. The artist has achieved this using a technique called impasto, where the paint is applied thickly. But beyond Renoir's masterful technique, it is worth thinking about what is not seen. The labor involved in grinding pigments, preparing the canvas, and applying the paint has contributed to the painting's unique qualities. These processes have imbued the artwork with social and cultural significance, which is why the history of its making, and the materials it employs, are as important as the artist’s vision.