The Mussel Harvest

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1879

This painting shows a view from above, looking down a path on the left where several people walk away from us towards a house in the distance surrounded by lush green vegetation. The path is a light pink color, and it cuts through the long green grasses and tall pink and yellow flowers that fill most of the landscape. The people are indistinct, but they appear to carry large bundles or baskets on their backs. The building they head towards is small, with yellow walls and a pointed roof painted in shades of brown, pink, and blue. A similar structure with a red chimney and blue roof is visible to the right, next to a larger building with a pointed steeple. The larger building is mostly in shadow, surrounded by tall, green trees. In the background behind these buildings are rolling green hills under a soft blue sky with light clouds. The brushstrokes in the painting are small swirls and dashes of color, giving the painting a soft, hazy quality.
Artist
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Date
1879
Type
Painting
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
54.2 × 65.4 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

This painting shows a view from above, looking down a path on the left where several people walk away from us towards a house in the distance surrounded by lush green vegetation. The path is a light pink color, and it cuts through the long green grasses and tall pink and yellow flowers that fill most of the landscape. The people are indistinct, but they appear to carry large bundles or baskets on their backs. The building they head towards is small, with yellow walls and a pointed roof painted in shades of brown, pink, and blue. A similar structure with a red chimney and blue roof is visible to the right, next to a larger building with a pointed steeple. The larger building is mostly in shadow, surrounded by tall, green trees. In the background behind these buildings are rolling green hills under a soft blue sky with light clouds. The brushstrokes in the painting are small swirls and dashes of color, giving the painting a soft, hazy quality.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir