Portret van Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1917

This is a photograph of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, probably taken in his studio at some point, though by whom we don’t know. It’s interesting how, even in a photograph, we can see the process of making an image. The sepia tone gives the whole piece a kind of hazy warmth, like memory itself. It's almost as if the photographer was trying to mimic the soft, atmospheric light that Renoir captured in his paintings. I am drawn to Renoir’s tweed suit, and the subtle textures within the weave of the cloth are visible here, with a distinct and beautiful pattern. I wonder what the suit felt like to wear? The photograph also makes me think about other artists who captured the essence of their contemporaries, like Nadar with his portraits of Parisian intellectuals. But this photograph has a more intimate feel, like a quiet moment caught between friends. It reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, a way of seeing and feeling the world that we share with each other across time.