Portrait of Coco 1905

Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted ‘Portrait of Coco’ using oil on canvas. Isn’t it funny how certain paintings just glow? Renoir has built up a surface that feels almost spongey. The way he's dabbed and layered the paint is something to behold. Look how he models the form of Coco's face with dabs of pink, red and cream. The beauty of Renoir, like other impressionists, is in their process. It is not trying to perfectly render the world in front of them, but rather, evoke the feeling and sensation of the experience of seeing. Focus on the frills of Coco’s white shirt. You can see how he's used thick impasto, almost like icing on a cake. This adds such a textural, tactile quality to the piece. It's like he's inviting us to reach out and touch the painting, to feel the softness of the fabric. There is an undeniable sweetness, something that recalls Rococo painting, like Fragonard, but with a looser, more modern touch. Ultimately it is a celebration of the act of painting itself.