The Children 

Editor: Looking at Renoir's "The Children", made with oil paint, I'm struck by the number of children he manages to fit into one composition! Their eyes look right through you. What do you make of it? Curator: For me, it’s crucial to look at Renoir's brushwork here. Note how he uses short, broken strokes to render their faces and clothing. It gives the impression of spontaneity but think of the labor involved in actually applying paint in this manner, across a canvas of this size. How does the application of this paint—the actual physical act—relate to our understanding of childhood and portraiture in late 19th century France? Editor: So you're saying the way he put the paint down on the canvas tells a story of how portraits of children of the upper classes were commodities made with labor and care. Curator: Exactly. Consider the rise of industrial production at this time. Middle-class patrons increasingly consumed paintings. Renoir's method subtly challenges academic art while simultaneously participating in its commodification. Does this piece evoke feelings of home, family, the domestic, perhaps? If so, is this mood due to Renoir's technique or subject? Editor: The materiality gives it such a softness. I didn't realize that technique can be connected to commodity, consumerism and challenge art. Thanks! Curator: Precisely! It's a reminder that even seemingly idyllic depictions are products of specific material conditions and artistic choices, not simply neutral reflections.