Seated bather 1912

Renoir made this painting of a seated bather with oils, probably in his studio in France. Just look at that palette of pinks, peaches, and creams—it's like the colors of dawn. I can imagine Renoir in front of the canvas, coaxing those flesh tones to life, with a brush that dances with the light. You can sense how he delights in the curves and folds of the body, the way the light catches on the skin. There’s a gentleness in how he models the form, a caress with each stroke. I bet he was thinking about all those great masters who came before him, like Titian and Rubens. The way they celebrated the human form. Renoir’s adding his own voice to that conversation. Each painter is in dialogue, echoing and answering one another across time. It's about a way of seeing and feeling, isn't it? Painting is a way of thinking through the body.