Claude Renoir in Clown Costume 1909

This is Pierre-Auguste Renoir's oil on canvas painting of his son, Claude, dressed as a clown. Imagine Renoir dabbing and swirling his brush, working quickly to capture the fleeting light and the youthful energy of his child. There is a sense of immediacy, as if the painting came into being through intuition and feeling. I wonder what was going through Renoir’s mind as he painted? Did he see a performer? Did he see a glimpse of his own childhood, or future? There’s a softness to the brushstrokes, with thin layers building up the form, and a gorgeous coral colour that makes the costume almost glow against the muted background. Look closely and you can see how each brushstroke is loaded with light. The gesture of the arm is particularly evocative, isn't it? There’s a slight awkwardness that communicates a sense of play, or perhaps even a hint of melancholy. The Impressionists were all in conversation, and that extended to the next generation; Renoir and his son, an ongoing exchange of ideas. Painting, at its core, is an embodied form of expression, and open to any interpretation.