The Farm at Collettes 1915

Pierre-Auguste Renoir's "The Farm at Collettes" is pure sunshine painted in oil. The way Renoir builds up the scene, it's all about the process. Look closely, and you'll see how he’s layering color upon color, touches of greens and yellows to build up the trees and the house. It's not about a smooth finish; it's about capturing light and atmosphere. The paint isn’t thick, but it’s definitely present. You can see the individual strokes, the way he loaded the brush and then lightly touched the canvas. See how the yellow of the house almost glows from within? The little strokes of green and brown around it make it pop, it’s like he’s vibrating the color. It feels warm, and a bit dreamy like when you squint in the sun. Looking at this, I'm reminded of Bonnard, in that pursuit of capturing light and those intimate scenes. But Renoir's got his own thing going on, too. It's a never-ending conversation, right? Art influencing art, and leaving room for us to make our own connections.