Les Laveuses 

Pierre-Auguste Renoir made this painting, Les Laveuses, with oil on canvas in France. It depicts two women washing laundry in a river. The Impressionists were interested in portraying everyday life, but they also participated in an art world that largely excluded women. The image shows the realities of women’s work in 19th century France, but it romanticizes them. It's important to consider what it meant for Renoir, as a male artist, to represent women in this way. Was he making a commentary on the labour that went unseen in French society? Or was he creating an idyllic fantasy? Art historical research, including examining letters, exhibition reviews, and sociological studies of the period, can reveal the complex relationship between art and society. Ultimately, the meaning of a painting like this is contingent on its social and institutional context.