Watering Can 1905

This painting of a watering can was made with oil on canvas by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, but we don't know exactly when. What do you think Renoir was thinking when he made this? I imagine him looking at this object, a common item, probably found in his home, as a vehicle for exploring the qualities of light. It is so Renoir! See how the brushstrokes are small and soft, like fleeting touches that capture the subtle shimmer of light on its surface. The can itself has a voluptuous presence, its curves enhanced by the play of light and shadow. Renoir's work reminds me of Bonnard's interior scenes, where ordinary objects are bathed in a warm, intimate glow. I think the paintings of these guys remind us that painting is like a conversation across time, one where artists borrow, steal, and riff off each other's ideas. It is this sharing of ideas, this embrace of the messy, uncertain process of art-making, that allows for multiple interpretations and layers of meaning.