The Farm at Les Collettes, Cagnes 1908 - 1914

Pierre-Auguste Renoir made this painting of The Farm at Les Collettes with oil on canvas. You can see that the paint is applied in soft, hazy strokes that suggest the shimmering light and lush vegetation of the French countryside. I imagine Renoir standing before his easel, squinting in the sun, trying to capture the way the light filters through the leaves and dances on the walls of the farmhouse. He probably mixed a dab of yellow ochre, a touch of viridian green, and a whisper of cerulean blue to get just the right shade for the foliage. Look at the way he renders the trees, they are like soft, fluid gestures expressing an atmospheric embrace. They are like the the paintings of Cezanne, who was a friend, but less structured and more interested in light and mood. Renoir was part of this ongoing conversation with other artists, each one pushing the boundaries of what painting could be. This piece feels like a meditation on the fleeting beauty of the natural world.