House on the River 

Here we see a painting made by Pierre-Auguste Renoir whose title is House on the River. Note how the composition is split horizontally. The lower half is dominated by a loosely rendered expanse of water, its surface reflecting the sky above with strokes of blues, whites, and subtle purples. Now, observe the upper half, where the house and the riverbank come into view. The trees are not sharply defined but are instead evoked through soft, blending strokes of greens, yellows, and browns. The entire scene is bathed in a hazy light. Renoir's application of paint breaks down the conventional representation of form and space. Rather than creating a clear perspectival depth, the painting emphasizes the surface and the materiality of the paint itself. In fact, the lack of sharp lines or clear definitions could suggest an engagement with the philosophy of perception of the impressionists, who challenged fixed meanings. Renoir invites us to reconsider how we perceive and interpret the natural world.