The Mussel Harvest

Auguste Renoir

National Gallery of Art

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.