Dahlias 1890

Pierre-Auguste Renoir made this still life of dahlias in a vase with oil paint on canvas. Renoir's loose brushwork gives the flowers a soft, almost blurred quality. The texture of the paint itself is quite evident. You can see the individual strokes and the way the colors blend together on the canvas. Renoir was part of the Impressionist movement, which was fascinated by the effects of light and atmosphere, but here we see very little evidence of the play of natural light. Instead, Renoir seems more focused on the act of painting itself. The way Renoir applied the paint – thick in some areas, thin in others – creates a sense of depth and volume, but he does this without a lot of attention to realism. He's more interested in capturing the essence of the flowers, their color, and texture, rather than creating a perfect representation. With his sensitivity to the sensual qualities of oil paint, Renoir elevates the craft of painting to the level of high art.