On the Seine, near Argenteuil 1874

Curator: What a gem we have here—"On the Seine, near Argenteuil" painted by Renoir in 1874. The setting just seems to breathe with quiet beauty. Editor: My immediate reaction is all about texture. The materiality almost jumps out; it feels like I could reach out and feel the layers of paint applied, the dense brushstrokes shaping those shimmering greens. Curator: Yes, the brushwork is key. Renoir was completely immersed in *plein-air* painting then, wasn't he? Notice how light is captured with these little flicks of the brush and what does this accomplish beyond capturing color or form? I wonder about Renoir standing there. Did he even feel the earth beneath his feet as the light caught his eye? Editor: It’s precisely the shift to *plein-air* practice that emphasizes the actual making—the act of standing outdoors, contending with shifting conditions, and trying to wrestle industrial materials like pre-mixed paints in tubes. It completely changed how painting got made. That vibrant yellow of the boat, likely mixed industrially; where did that pigment come from? Whose labor extracted and processed it? Curator: You’re thinking about the industrial roots of the artist's pigment, while I’m contemplating Renoir's experience by the river. What captures my senses here is a romantic escape. A couple drifts by. They are in their own little bubble. Don't you find that sense of intimate pleasure striking? Editor: Well, pleasure is a construct too. Those clothes those figures are wearing –the materials, their manufacture, the leisure time necessary for a river outing…it all speaks to class. Impressionism often presents a surface, seemingly capturing fleeting moments, but scratch a bit and you can see the rising bourgeoisie enjoying their privilege. Curator: You are always ready to pull things back to the earthly matters. Although you’re correct, those clothes certainly scream "privilege." And, maybe it's not wrong to be reminded that these fleeting moments are also constructed in that sense. In fact, maybe they can't exist outside the societal construction that you allude to... Editor: Exactly! Considering this moment from 1874 from both an artistic and a manufacturing angle brings Renoir's creation of "On the Seine, near Argenteuil" to us not only visually but materially. The question about production expands the view! Curator: A thoughtful reminder to step away from the pure light sometimes.