Oil Paintings Reproductions

About The Artist - Pierre-Auguste Renoir (February 25, 1841-December 3, 1919)

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a French artist, was a leading painter of the Impressionist movement.

About The Painting - The Luncheon of the Boating Party

A celebrator of pure beauty, especially of the female form, it is widely accepted that "Renoir is the final representative of a tradition which runs directly from Rubens to Watteau". Notable for their vibrant but light and saturated colors, Renoir's paintings mostly focus on people in friendly and sincere compositions.

The Luncheon of the Boating Party, currently housed in the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., is an impressionist painting depicting a group of artist's friends enjoying lunch on a balcony at the Maison Fournaise, in Chatou along the River Seine in France. Some of the people shown in the picture include the painter and art patron, Gustave Caillebotte, seated in the lower right, while Renoir's future wife, Aline Charigot is seated in the foreground and is playing with a small dog.

The Luncheon of the Boating Party is unique because Renoir has captured a good amount of light skillfully. The main focus of the light is the large opening in the balcony, right next to the large man standing in a yellow hat. Interestingly, the singlet of the two men, one standing in the foreground and the other sitting in the lower right corner, reflect the light and direct it through the entire composition.

The upper left hand corner of this composition, just beyond the awning, shows the bluish gray outline of the Chatou railroad bridge, which made this riverside party possible. The Luncheon of the Boating Party is a wonderful composition showing revelry and enjoyment by capturing the mood of the moment.

Renoir's friends have been caught in various moods- pondering, indifferent, happy, and admiring and many others in a way that touches the viewer's heart while retaining the natural characteristics of the surroundings and the beauty of the environment.