Le Bouquet 1910

Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted this still life of roses in a vase with oil on canvas. The colours are luscious, with an emphasis on reds and pinks, which give a romantic feeling. It’s a pure expression of process, the joy of painting. If you look closely at the surface, you can see how Renoir applied the paint in soft, feathery strokes, layering colours to build up the forms. The edges of the roses, the vase, even the tabletop, are blurred and indistinct, creating a hazy, dreamlike effect. This is about capturing a feeling, an atmosphere, rather than a photographic likeness. Notice how the light catches the petals, making them glow. Renoir coaxes the paint into representing light itself. It’s the kind of painting that makes you want to reach out and touch it. Like the flower paintings of Manet, it reminds us that painting is never just about what it represents; it’s about the physical act of applying paint to canvas, a dance between the artist, the materials, and the subject.