Tasse Et Fruits c. 1910

Pierre-Auguste Renoir made this oil painting of a cup and fruit with vigorous brushstrokes. The quick, loose application of paint suggests a casualness. Yet this seemingly simple still life carries the weight of institutional art history. Renoir was, of course, a key figure in the Impressionist movement in France. But while the Impressionists sought to break from academic tradition and represent modern life, they still depended on the official Salon system to showcase their work. We can consider how the norms of the Salon and the commercial art market of late 19th-century Paris shaped his choice of subject matter. Was this perhaps an attempt to cater to the bourgeois tastes of the time? Or was Renoir challenging the Salon system? To answer that, we must consider the prevailing social and economic conditions of his time. We need to review exhibition records, dealers’ correspondence, and critical reviews. Art's meaning always depends on its original context.