Pomegranates (Grenades)

Pomegranates (Grenades), 1910, belongs to the Barnes Foundation's late Renoir fruit still lifes and reflects the southern French association of the pomegranate—abundantly grown in Provence—with his new home at Cagnes. The pomegranate's distinctive form—leathery skin encasing jewel-like seeds—was a subject he had not treated earlier in his career, and its rich crimson-red interior and russet exterior offered new chromatic territory. The subject also connected to ancient Mediterranean symbolism, the pomegranate having mythological associations Renoir may or may not have actively sought.

The pomegranate's distinctive form and colour—deep russet exterior, intense crimson interior—required specific treatment distinct from his rounder apple or orange painting. Renoir builds the smooth exterior with broadly curved strokes in warm ochre-red, while any visible interior is rendered with intense, jewel-like crimson marks.