Madame Charles Fray 1901

Pierre-Auguste Renoir captured Madame Charles Fray with oil on canvas, and I can almost see him daubing and feathering the paint, coaxing her form into being. It must have been interesting to be Renoir, playing with light in this almost audacious way! And I wonder what it might have been like for Madame Fray, sitting for her portrait, as Renoir builds up the image in short, soft strokes. Look at the background! It’s like a blurry dream – a mass of greens and browns, from which she emerges, ethereal, holding a fan in her hand. Renoir was always obsessed with the way light catches on skin, and that’s something the Impressionists brought to painting - this idea of light and atmosphere. It’s more felt than seen! And here, he's done it with such a tender touch. This feels similar to other portraits he made around this time. Painters are always in conversation with each other, and with themselves, building on what's come before. In the end, it’s this conversation that keeps art alive!