Luncheon of the Boating Party

The Luncheon of the Boating Party (French: Le déjeuner des canotiers ) is a 1880-81 's painting by the French painter Pierre- Auguste Renoir. The 130 × 173 cm, painted in oil on canvas picture shows a group portrait of his friends on the terrace of the Restaurant Fournaise in Chatou. The still existing picnic area is located on the Seine, which can be seen in the background. The painting is one of the major works of the artist and is in his painting style and color a typical example of the Impressionist painting. The Luncheon of the Boating Party is in the collection of the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC

The people shown

The identity of people in photo has been disputed between art historians long. Among the earliest studies include the research work of Julius Meier -Graefe in 1912, which largely coincide with the records of the Archives of the art dealer Paul Durand- Ruel. In addition, the artist's son, Jean Renoir gave important information on the represented persons. The different conclusions were finally combined in 1981 on behalf of the Phillips Collection by art historian Martha Carey.

On the left of the table sits Aline Charigot who is employed in the picture with her dog. She had only recently met Renoir and later became his wife. Behind her stands against the railing leaning Jules- Alphonse Fournaise. He was the son of the restaurant owner and responsible for the boat rental of the premises excursion. Only he and the opposite him seated young man is presented in a usual boat athletes for those clothes. This right sitting on the table man, with his hands on the back of a chair, it is the painter Gustave Caillebotte, who appears somewhat younger in this picture than it actually was in 1880. Caillebotte devoted himself in art and intensively to the rowing and sailing. The woman to his left, who has his eyes on him, is the actress Angèle Legault. These two persons bends Italian journalist Adrien Maggiolo.

Behind Maggiolo is a group of three people. The woman on the right edge, which seems to cover his ears, is the actress Jeanne Samary. Renoir has portrayed them in different portraits. Right next to her, with the bright hat, the painter Paul Lhote has turned his face to her. Eugène- Pierre Lestringuez, another friend of Renoir, is the man with the dark hat. Unclear the identity of the male person is left of Maggiolos shoulder that is almost only seen as a profile. To the female individual who is drinking from a glass, there are several assumptions. This could again Angèle Legault model have been sitting, or as Jean Renoir claimed that the actress Ellen Andrée be mapped. When the two men behind this drinking woman is the art critic Charles Ephrussi, which was inserted in back view late in the composition. Opposite him is perhaps his secretary, the poet Jules Laforgue.

Also in Rear view of man is portrayed with a round hat at the end of the table, which has been identified as Baron Raoul Barbier. He has focused on the woman at the end of the balustrade, whose identity is also not entirely clear his eye. It could involve trade - Alphonsine Fournaise to Louise, the daughter of the restaurant owner and sister of the front standing on the parapet man. She would have been just like her brother easily available as a model in Chatou, unlike Renoir's friends, who had come specially from Paris for portrait sessions.