It was following his trip to Italy and exposure to the works of artists such as Raphael that Renoir decided to experiment with his technique. In a letter written upon returning home he said:"I will, I think, attain the grandeur and simplicity of the ancient painters [... ] so as a result of seeing the outside, I ended up seeing nothing but the great harmonies without taking any more notice of the petty details which extinguish the sun instead of making it burn brighter.