Impressionism was an art movement where artists began to take painting outside of the studio and paint in plein air (open air), that was possible due to the invention of ready made paint in tubes. That opened doors for impressionists - they were now able to catch the atmosphere and impression of a moment in time. 

Pierre Auguste Renoir (born in 1842 and died in 1919) was a French impressionist painter whose painting were noticeable for their vibrant light and interesting colour.

This painting is titled 'La Loge' (The Theatre Box) painted in 1874:


It is certain that this painting is from the impressionist movement as it is almost a snapshot of what is happening right there and then in the theatre box, the portrait couple are not posing so the painting is not set up, although the lady in the image is looking straight at the viewer. The dominant image of the lady is strongly lit up with the use of many white shades which contrast well with the black stripes on her gown that point towards her face which draws the viewers in. Her face is very white compared to the male in the background so there must be a light source aiming on to her face. The background is textured and mainly dark to make the dominant image pop. Renoir's colour pallet contained greens and blues for the cold background and golden orange to introduce the warmth around the face. Small touches of red adding excitement. There is a very strong tonal contrast especially around the face and chest of the woman compared to the dark background. The colourful shadowed background painted with rough brush strokes, the rest of the painting is painted quite loosely.