Madame Renoir and Bob 1910

Pierre-Auguste Renoir created this oil-on-canvas painting of his wife, Aline Charigot Renoir, sometime in the late 19th century. Renoir used a technique called impressionism, which emphasized the effect of light and movement. He built up the forms with loose, gestural brushstrokes, so the image feels immediate and full of life. The materiality of the paint itself becomes part of the subject, as we sense the artist capturing a fleeting moment. You can see this particularly in the rendering of the clothing, which almost dissolves into abstraction. Renoir came from a working-class background and apprenticed as a porcelain painter. This training in craft gave him a sensitivity to materials and processes, that sets him apart from some other Impressionists. Here, Renoir blurs the lines between fine art and decoration, finding beauty in the everyday world.