Reclining Nude (The Baker's Wife) 1902

Renoir made this painting, Reclining Nude (The Baker's Wife), with oil on canvas, and it’s now in a private collection. Can you imagine Renoir, the kind of marks he made, the colors he chose, and the story he wanted to tell? The figure reclines into the earth, into a bed of green and white, and it reminds me of the famous reclining nudes that came before him, but also of the women he knew. I see Renoir trying to capture her softness, using short brushstrokes of pinks and peaches and soft, rounded forms to convey the warmth of her skin. What was he thinking as he made it? The pose is natural and relaxed. It's as if he wanted to capture a fleeting moment of intimacy, a glimpse into her private world. Renoir was part of a big conversation with other painters, building on what came before. What he was doing in his own way was pretty beautiful. Artists are always in dialogue, always riffing off each other, trying to find new ways to express themselves. It's an ongoing conversation that stretches across time.