Luncheon of the Boating Party

Renoir paints a group of his friends relaxing on a balcony at the Maison Fournaise restaurant in Chatou, France. The composition blends figures, still life, and landscape, with the diagonal railing dividing the crowded group from the more open side of the composition. Renoir also uses light carefully, reflecting it across the scene through the figures and tablecloth, while his loose, expressive brushstrokes give the painting a lively sense of movement.

The painting was first exhibited at the Seventh Impressionist Exhibition in Paris in 1882, after which Paul Durand-Ruel purchased it. In 1923, American collector Duncan Phillips acquired the work from the Durand-Ruel gallery. Today, it remains a highlight of The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.