Luncheon of the Boating Party

Renoir's painting "Luncheon of the Boating Party" (1881, 51"x68", see below) is in The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. I copied this work in a smaller canvas (36"x48", see above) and learned a great deal about depicting various human gestures and forms, the flickering light in still life, and the fading landscape in the background. As Renoir once said, "To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful, and pretty, yes pretty! There are too many unpleasant things in life as it is without creating still more of them." I find this picture indeed makes me a bit cheerful!Pretty picture aside, this work of Renoir is my favorite impressionist painting for two reasons. First, like many classic masterpieces, its composition is amazing, combining figures, still-life, and landscape in one harmonious picture. The diagonal arrangement of figures in several groups (near and far), some engaging in casual conversations and some merely observing, skillfully manifests a free spirit and friendship in such a happy gathering. Second, unlike many later impressionist paintings, in this work Renoir still retained remarkable drawing from his early academic training while showcasing the rich color and light effect that he and other impressionists were innovating at that time. This work suggests that the academic and impressionist approaches to painting need not be antagonists to each other; rather, by embracing and mastering both approaches, in my opinion, Renoir produces one of the most beloved impressionist paintings of all time.