Apples 1875

Curator: Painted in 1875, this modest oil painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, simply titled "Apples," gives us a glimpse into the artist’s exploration of form during his early Impressionist period. Editor: It's striking! The visible brushstrokes and the interplay of light across the fruit practically makes them vibrate against the canvas. There's an undeniable vibrancy and immediacy here. Curator: Renoir painted during a period marked by significant changes in social attitudes toward women, domestic life and leisure. The domestic sphere increasingly took center stage as a symbol of comfort, luxury, and beauty for the growing bourgeoisie. Still lifes of fruit acted as displays of domestic achievement and material comfort. Editor: I agree, however the interest I have goes more into the way the artist handles the light. The lack of sharp outlines contributes to an impression of softness, as if the fruit itself is dissolving into the light, a key tenet of Impressionist aesthetics, playing with the materiality of the scene. It captures a moment, a fleeting impression of the fruit rather than a precise representation. Curator: Interesting point; but I feel that by creating a sense of idealized plenty, Renoir aligned himself with the aspirations and values of his upper-middle-class clientele who frequented exhibitions, galleries, and auctions. It shows his deep knowledge of his surrounding art environment. Editor: Perhaps so, yet I argue that he's equally interested in exploring the interplay between color and form; look closely, he moves far from replicating real apple tonality! Blue and green pigments dance within each object in their own expressionistic value system! The visible brushwork is really wonderful, its effect giving a liveliness to the compositions Curator: To finish then, Renoir gives us much to consider beyond a simple still life. Editor: I'd say his use of colour and light achieves something far more significant.