Luncheon of the Boating Party
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1880–1881
Oil on canvas
Quick answer
Luncheon of the Boating Party (1880–1881) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir is at The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.. Luncheon of the Boating Party is an oil painting by French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, created between 1880 and 1881. It depicts a group of Renoir's friends — artists, models, critics, and socialites — finishing a meal on the canopied terrace of the Maison Fournaise restaurant at Chatou on the Seine, west of Paris. The painting combines Renoir's most accomplished figure painting with the dappled light and joyous mood of high Impressionism. It is in the collection of The Phillips Collection in Washington D.C. World Museum Guide explains what you're looking at and how to see it.
Where to see it
The Phillips Collection — Washington, D.C., United States
America's first museum of modern art — independent of the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall.
This venue is not yet covered by a full World Museum Guide page — we link to the official site for tickets and hours.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Luncheon of the Boating Party?
The painting is in the permanent collection of The Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., where it hangs in the Music Room. The Phillips Collection was America's first museum of modern art, founded by collector Duncan Phillips in his private home in 1921. It is at 1600 21st Street NW, Washington D.C.
Who are the people in Luncheon of the Boating Party?
All 14 figures have been identified. The woman holding the small dog at lower left is Aline Charigot, Renoir's future wife. The painter Gustave Caillebotte sits at lower right. Other guests include actress Ellen Andrée, actor Paul Lhote, and art critic Charles Ephrussi. The boatman in the straw hat leaning on the railing is Alphonse Fournaise, son of the restaurant owner.
When was Luncheon of the Boating Party painted?
Renoir worked on the painting between summer 1880 and early 1881. He gathered his models at the Maison Fournaise restaurant at Chatou over multiple sessions during the summer months, when boating on the Seine was a popular Parisian leisure activity. The painting was exhibited at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition in Paris in April 1882.
Why is Luncheon of the Boating Party considered important?
It is considered Renoir's masterpiece and one of the greatest Impressionist paintings for several reasons: the technical achievement of painting 14 convincing individual portraits in an outdoor, light-filled setting; the combination of Impressionistic light effects with academic figure painting; and the warmth and joy of the scene, which Renoir reportedly said he painted because he feared Impressionism was becoming too serious and theoretical.
How much did Luncheon of the Boating Party cost?
Duncan Phillips purchased the painting in 1923 for $125,000 — a significant record for the time and the highest price he ever paid for a single work. Phillips's purchase was remarkable because in 1923 Renoir had been dead only four years and many in the US art establishment still considered Impressionism a suspect European fashion. It was a prescient acquisition that established the Phillips Collection's international reputation.