Associated with
Impressionism
The Phillips Collection places Renoir's group scene within Impressionism and his work on modern leisure.
PaintingImpressionism
Luncheon of the Boating Party
Pierre-Auguste Renoir gathers friends on the balcony of the Maison Fournaise at Chatou, beside the Seine. Aline Charigot holds a dog at the left, while Gustave Caillebotte sits backward in a chair at the right.
- 1880–1881
- Oil on canvas
About Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Lunch beside the Seine
Pierre-Auguste Renoir sets the luncheon beneath a striped awning. The table is covered with bottles, glasses, fruit, and used dishes. Beyond the railing, foliage partly obscures the river.
The railing crosses the canvas on a diagonal, separating the restaurant balcony from the outdoors. People lean against it, sit beside it, or gather around the table. Their different poses make the narrow space feel occupied without arranging everyone in a formal row.
Two recognizable members of Renoir's circle
Aline Charigot, who later married Renoir, holds the small dog at the lower left. The painter and collector Gustave Caillebotte sits at the lower right in a straw hat and white sleeveless shirt. Both identifications are given by the Phillips Collection.
The Phillips Collection identifies most of the remaining party. Alphonse Fournaise Jr. leans on the railing; his sister Alphonsine speaks with Baron Raoul Barbier. Ellen Andrée drinks from a glass. Charles Ephrussi, in a top hat, speaks with Jules Laforgue. Angèle turns toward the journalist Maggiolo, while Eugène Pierre Lestringuez, Jeanne Samary, and Paul Lhote form the upper-right group. Renoir uses their separate exchanges to spread attention across the balcony.
A scene revised over time
The painting's relaxed appearance can suggest a single afternoon. Technical examination by the Phillips Collection found changes made as Renoir worked, including altered figures and adjustments to their surroundings.
The Phillips Collection's research on Renoir's luncheon scene uses X-rays, infrared examination, and close study of paint layers. It found little underdrawing and no known preparatory drawings, showing that Renoir developed the arrangement through painting and revision.
Technical evidence that Renoir revised the figures shows that their apparently casual positions were carefully worked out, not recorded like a photograph of one moment.
The table holds the foreground together
The broad white cloth separates the figures at the front. Clear glasses appear through a few light edges, while bottles supply darker vertical shapes. The folded cloth has more space around it than the crowded heads above.
Compare the table with the tighter foreground in Bal du moulin de la Galette. Both paintings bring leisure and sociability into a large canvas, but the luncheon gives the still life a much larger role.
Close reading
Reading the work, detail by detail
Look at the small conversations and the objects between them. The table and railing keep the many figures connected while leaving room for different gestures.
1.Aline Charigot holds the dog
Her face turns toward the dog's muzzle. The close exchange forms its own small scene beside the broader gathering.
2.Caillebotte turns his chair around
His forearms rest near the chair back. The turned seat and sleeveless shirt give the foreground figure a less formal pose than the standing men behind him.
3.Ellen Andrée raises a glass
The glass hides part of her face. Her raised hand supplies a separate action among the surrounding people who are talking or listening.
4.A striped awning covers the balcony
The broad stripes stretch above the crowded heads. The awning establishes shelter while the bright background shows that the group is beside an open landscape.
5.Glasses stand out against white cloth
Thin light marks describe the clear glass. Dark bottles and fruit remain solid beside them, giving the still life several different surfaces.
6.The railing divides balcony and river view
The railing gives the figures a shared boundary to sit or lean beside. Beyond it, trees and glimpses of the river place the restaurant outdoors.
Timeline
1880–1881
Around 1880–81, Renoir painted and revised the Chatou balcony gathering now known as Luncheon of the Boating Party.
1923
The Phillips Collection acquired Luncheon of the Boating Party in 1923.
1996
In 1996, the Phillips Collection carried out a technical study of Luncheon of the Boating Party.
2016
In 2016, the Phillips Collection reexamined the materials and changes in Luncheon of the Boating Party.
Where to see it
The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
Check the collection’s website for current display and visiting information before planning a visit.
View the collection recordFrequently asked questions
Where is the luncheon set?
Renoir set Luncheon of the Boating Party on the balcony of the Maison Fournaise restaurant at Chatou, beside the Seine west of Paris.
Who is holding the dog?
The woman holding the dog in Luncheon of the Boating Party is Aline Charigot, who later became Renoir's wife.
Is Gustave Caillebotte in the painting?
Gustave Caillebotte is seated backward in the chair at the lower right, wearing a straw hat and white sleeveless shirt.
Was the scene painted in one sitting?
Technical study of Luncheon of the Boating Party has revealed that Renoir revised its figures and composition while he worked.
Where is the painting now?
Luncheon of the Boating Party belongs to the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., which acquired the painting in 1923.
In the atlas
Depicts
Aline Charigot
The Phillips Collection identifies Aline Charigot as the woman holding the dog at the lower left.
Depicts
Gustave Caillebotte
The Phillips Collection identifies Gustave Caillebotte as the man seated backward in the chair at the lower right.
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In images
References
References
The sources below include collection records, catalogues, scholarly research, and primary materials that informed this page. They document Luncheon of the Boating Party, its making, and its place in cultural history.
1Luncheon of the Boating Party: public-domain reproduction
WebsiteWikimedia CommonsUsed forThe reproduction is the primary visual source for the close-reading details; rights metadata is preserved separately.
2Luncheon of the Boating Party — The Phillips Collection
WebsiteThe Phillips CollectionUsed forWeb source consulted for documented facts and historical context presented on the Luncheon of the Boating Party page.
View source3Luncheon of the Boating Party: technical study
WebsiteThe Phillips CollectionUsed forWeb source consulted for documented facts and historical context presented on the Luncheon of the Boating Party page.
4Bal du moulin de la Galette (Auguste Renoir) — Musée d'Orsay
WebsiteMusée d'OrsayUsed forComparison with the earlier Montmartre scene.
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Why these sources are here
These references provide the documented foundation for this work's history and interpretation. Claim-level citations remain attached to the specific claims they support.
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