Woman Leaning 1918

Pierre-Auguste Renoir made this painting of a woman leaning, with oil on canvas, though we don’t know exactly when. Looking at it, I'm struck by the dappled light and the way Renoir builds up the image with these short, feathery brushstrokes. For me, artmaking is all about this kind of process – a layering and building, a constant adjustment. The texture in the painting is so alive, you can almost feel the softness of her skin and the delicate petals of the flowers. He’s mixed pinks and peaches with touches of blue and yellow, and this palette gives the piece an overall warmth. Take a look at the way he’s painted her hand, the subtle gradations of color create a sense of volume and presence. It's like he's not just painting what he sees, but what he feels. Renoir's contemporary, Berthe Morisot, played with similar brushstrokes and a comparable colour palette. Both artists demonstrate how a painting can be a conversation, a back-and-forth between feeling and form, where the journey of making is just as important as the final image. It makes you think about art's ability to embrace different perspectives and interpretations.