Landscape at Essoyes 

Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted this landscape at Essoyes with oil on canvas. The visible brushstrokes of different colours and values form the final image. The textures created by layering the oil paints are palpable, conveying the rural setting of Essoyes. The impasto technique gives the foliage a thick, almost sculptural quality. Note how Renoir handles the medium to evoke the warmth of the buildings and the softness of the surrounding greenery. The use of oil paints in en plein air paintings like this one was tied to the social and economic changes of the 19th century. The advent of paint tubes meant that this painting was no longer confined to the studio but could be created on site; these kinds of painting were thus tied to the growing industrialization of art materials, making artworks more accessible to wider audiences. Considering the materials, the making, and the social context allows us to fully appreciate Renoir's artistic contribution, transcending traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.