This breathtaking view of Paris was painted by Auguste Renoir in 1872. And it represents a pivotal moment in art history.   In the 19th century, a daring group of artists decided they were finished with the traditional rules of the art world. They took their paints outside to capture life as it truly happened. They called themselves “Artists, Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, Inc.,” but history remembers them as the “impressionists.” One of these bold innovators was Auguste Renoir. When he set out to paint the Pont Neuf, Paris’s oldest bridge, he defied the status quo. He secured the upper floor of a café overlooking the Seine, where he could witness a dynamic view of the city. To capture the ever-changing scene, Renoir asked his brother, Edmond, to head over to the bridge, chat with people, and slow them down just enough for Renoir to paint them. This inventive technique—freezing fleeting moments—defied the rigid conventions of the past and made Renoir a standout in the art world. And...