Pierre-Auguste Renoir 2018

Andrey Allakhverdov painted "Pierre-Auguste Renoir" at an unknown date using oils, and it’s a wild ride of layered realities. Right away, the palette grabs you—those rich, earthy tones wrestling with surprising pops of color. The materiality here is key. The brushwork is visible, thick in places, especially in the rendering of the man’s coat and beard, where you can almost feel the texture of the bristles. Then, in the background, a painting within the painting, referencing Renoir. Look at that cat drinking from its bowl! A cat within the painting within the painting! It’s a playful nod, a wink, acknowledging art-making as a constant conversation across time. Allakhverdov's work reminds me of artists like David Hockney, who also enjoy playing with perspective and pictorial space. Ultimately, this piece celebrates art's capacity for ambiguity and the joy of layering meanings.