Madame Chocquet Reading 1876

Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s painting of Madame Chocquet was made with oil on canvas, seemingly traditional materials for the time. But what Renoir does with them is remarkable. Renoir worked wet-on-wet, applying successive layers of paint before the earlier ones had dried. This technique, known as alla prima, allowed for the blending of colors directly on the canvas, giving the work a soft, luminous quality. The paint is applied in loose, visible strokes, creating a sense of movement and immediacy. Look at the way the light plays across Madame Chocquet's dress. The visible brushwork speaks to a shift away from academic polish, towards the direct expression of sensation. This mirrors the changing social landscape, a move away from the old hierarchies. The painting is less a portrait of a specific individual than an impression of a moment, and a nod to the growing leisure of the bourgeoisie. Understanding Renoir's methods allows us to appreciate how deeply his art was tied to broader changes in society.