In Brittany (En Bretagne)

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Renoir painted this canvas during the summer of 1886 in Brittany, and the conventional subject belies its importance as a crucial departure from the seeming spontaneity of impressionism. At this time, Renoir sought to fuse line and color seamlessly. Here, the figures are treated crisply and in considerable detail; strikingly, much of the foliage and fruit are outlined precisely in the underlying drawing and reinforced by additional contours on the finished layer. The palette, however, is consistent with Renoir's previous work, especially the juxtapositions between orange-reds and blue-greens.

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