Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Duck Pond, 1873

After being drafted to fight in the war against Germany, Renoir went back to painting in 1871. Before Renoir solidified his go to subjects (city scenes, clothed women, and naked women), he spent some time exploring landscape throughout France. Some of the time Renoir spent exploring France was with his artist friends, yet this painting has no copies done by other artists. This painting can obviously be identified as one of Renoir's earlier works by its subject and the brushstrokes. The stokes are short and choppy, creating an image that seems natural. The movement Renoir gave to the plants and to the water truly gives the impression of a moment being captured in its raw state. As Renoir's career matured, he transitioned to capturing people, and his scenes became less natural.

I think the first thing that drew me to this painting was the colors. I liked the vibrant orange roof and how it contrasted with the dark blue Renoir scattered in the water. The blue is important because it gives an early glimpse at something that Renoir would one day become well known for. I like that the ducks grabbed my attention, yet faded into the background once I noticed the movement of the landscape surrounding them. The line of the ducks grabs the viewers attention, pushing the eyes to the middle of the painting and changing the focus to the movement of the trees.