It was on his return from Italy in January 1882 when Pierre-Auguste Renoir first visited l'Estaque, stopping in the town to stay with fellow Impressionist Paul Cézanne. During this visit, the area's Provençal character and allure captivated the artist, so much so that it resulted in a series of beautiful landscapes. Enthused by the Mediterranean countryside, Renoir devoted his attention to capturing not a single moment of light, but many, as suggested by the present work's diagonal brushstrokes.

A masterful synthesis of light and colour, these loose and unfettered brushstrokes in Paysage de l'Estaque, painted in 1883-85, come together to establish a luscious environment, in which the rich textures of the Mediterranean coastline are powerfully evoked.