Essoyes Landscape 

Editor: Here we have Renoir's "Essoyes Landscape," painted in watercolor. There's a sketch-like quality that I find really captivating; it feels very immediate. What are your initial thoughts on it? Curator: It's fascinating to consider this piece in the context of Renoir's larger body of work. While he is most recognized for his figural work, let’s think about the means of production required for an artwork like this. What sort of labor went into making the watercolour paper? Who harvested the pigments for the paint, and under what conditions? Editor: I never considered the pigments before. How might the source of the materials impacted its creation? Curator: Precisely. Sourcing certain vibrant blues, for instance, involved complex trade routes and considerable expense. Watercolour lends itself to en plein air painting because of portability, thus changing who can have access to painting due to social class. How might this relative democratisation of the media shape who makes art, what they make, and where it is consumed? Editor: That’s a fantastic point! So, instead of seeing this just as a pretty landscape, we should be thinking about the socioeconomic factors that allowed Renoir to create it. Curator: Exactly. And not only that, but what are some implications of shifting the materials used? What are some benefits? Limitations? We should not simply assume his choice was simply an aesthetic preference! Editor: I'm definitely seeing this landscape in a totally new light. Thanks for sharing your perspective! Curator: And thank you. Considering the conditions and processes that birth a painting truly brings it to life.