Snow-covered Landscape 1875

Pierre-Auguste Renoir created this untitled snow-covered landscape with oil on canvas, sometime during his career in France. The image suggests a motif of leisure and relaxation, but one can also detect the changing seasons in the French countryside, and it can be read as a depiction of the effects of climate and atmosphere on our cultural and social life. This work invites consideration of the artistic choices made by Renoir. We might ask ourselves: How does his style break with academic traditions? And how did that relate to the social and political conditions of his time? To interpret this painting, scholars delve into exhibition reviews, artists' letters, and the writings of critics. This approach makes it clear that an artwork's meaning is closely tied to its time and place.