La Blanchisseuse
1877-79
Renoir captures a moment of everyday life with this confident laundress, hands on hips, taking a brief pause from her work. Her rosy cheeks and casual pose contrast with the rough, textured brushstrokes that define her blue skirt and the basket of laundry beside her. Painted during the height of Impressionism, this piece celebrates the beauty of ordinary working-class people, a favorite subject for Renoir before he shifted to more formal portraits.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.