Lime Tree and Farmhouse 1919

Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s ‘Lime Tree and Farmhouse’ is alive with movement through its staccato marks, a process of artmaking laid bare for us to see. Looking at the canvas, the colors aren't mixed so much as they are layered, tiny strokes of oranges, yellows, greens, and blues. It’s as if Renoir is inviting us to mix the colors in our own eyes. The paint is applied thinly, almost sketch-like, allowing the canvas to breathe. There’s a spot near the center, where a figure stands beneath the lime tree, painted with such brevity that it almost dissolves into the surroundings. Yet, this ephemeral quality is what makes it so captivating, as though Renoir has captured a fleeting moment in time. The piece reminds me of Cezanne, especially in the way he breaks down form into its constituent parts. Both artists reject the illusionism of academic painting in favor of a more subjective and sensory experience.