Woman Wearing a Rose Andree 1919

Renoir painted this oil on canvas portrait, "Woman Wearing a Rose Andree", sometime during his career. Isn't it wild how Renoir's strokes seem to dance across the canvas? His color palette is so warm, full of reds and oranges, making it feel so intimate. It reminds me that art is a process, a conversation between the artist and the materials. The physicality of the paint, the way it's built up, isn't hidden. You can almost feel the texture. I love the way the red in her hair contrasts with the yellow in the background; it’s like he’s pushing and pulling our gaze. That little patch of blue near her shoulder? It's like a tiny rebellious mark, refusing to blend in. It all comes together to create a viewing experience that is both immediate and lasting. It all makes me think of how much art-making is about seeing, and feeling, and then letting those feelings guide the brush. Like when I look at a Bonnard, I'm struck by a similar embrace of ambiguity, an invitation to wander through the painting, making my own sense of it all.