Standing Bather c. 1910

Renoir probably made this painting of a standing bather with oils sometime in his career; it is a study of color and the ways a figure can be made into a landscape. Look at the way he builds up the body with small daubs of pink, yellow, and blue. It's like he's not just painting skin, but also capturing the light playing across its surface. This isn’t just about what she looks like, but about how we see her. Renoir is showing us how he’s seeing her. The way the background of the piece seems to blend seamlessly with the figure suggests a kind of unity between the figure and the landscape, an idea also explored by his contemporary, Cezanne. And think about how Renoir, in paintings like this, has had such a huge influence on later artists, from Bonnard to Matisse, who have each explored the sensuality and subjectivity of paint. It’s all about that ongoing conversation, with each artist adding their own unique voice.