House in Collett at Cagnes 1912

This house in Cagnes was made by Renoir with paint, probably oil, and what strikes me first is how the marks build the space. The whole thing feels soft, like a memory, and the colors are so warm, it’s like the whole scene is being lit by the sun. I keep coming back to this little figure on the balcony, and the way the whole building leans, ever so slightly. The paint is thin in places, and you can see the weave of the canvas, and thicker in others, especially in the foliage, where he uses these little dabs of color to create a sense of depth and movement. Look how he uses reds and oranges to pull the eye forward. It reminds me a little of Cezanne, in the way that he builds form with color, but Renoir is softer, maybe more sentimental, and less interested in the architecture of the thing. Ultimately, it’s the feeling that stays with you. A feeling of warmth, of nostalgia, of a moment captured.