Luncheon Of The Boating Party, Seeing The Real Deal In Washington DC

This Chanukah has been so packed I haven’t even had a moment to wish all my dear readers a wonderful light-filled Chanukah! Now, on this eighth night of Chanukah, called Zot Chanukah, I have realized that it is high time I start sharing photos from our summer adventures, and boy do I have a lot to share! Having written an article about the Hamptons this week, and given that the Hamptons was home to several well known Impressionists, I thought I’d start by sharing with you some of the really great Impressionist art I had the pleasure of seeing in Washington DC this past August. And, since Impressionist painters were all about capturing the light, Chanukah is the perfect time to share their work!

I thought I’d start by sharing with you one of the most famous Impressionist paintings of all times, Renoir’s Luncheon Of The Boating Party! This painting was actually a favorite of mine way back when, though not sure when exactly! I’m sure you know how that goes, but when I saw a museum by the name of The Phillips Collection on the list of museums in Washington DC it sure did sound familiar, and sure enough it sounded familiar because that is the home of Luncheon Of The Boating Party.

I have to say, one can certainly enjoy art by looking at prints, but there is nothing like seeing the real deal, and I certainly never would have noticed all the amazing details just looking at the print of Luncheon Of The Boating Party. As you can see here, I made sure to take a few close ups to share with you! And honestly I’m still pinching myself!

Renoir’s loose brush work is truly amazing, look at the flowers on the girl’s hat, and how he rendered the dog’s fur, wow.

Luncheon of the Boating Party was painted in 1881 by French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Included in the Seventh Impressionist Exhibition in 1882, it was identified as the best painting in the show by three critics. It was purchased from the artist by the dealer-patron Paul Durand-Ruel and bought in 1923 (for $125,000) from his son by industrialist Duncan Phillips, who spent a decade in pursuit of the work. Renoir worked on the composition of the painting on site and with actual models, all of whom have been identified as friends or connected with the owner of the restuarant on the Seine. The girl with the dog became Renoir’s wife, interestingly enough.Look at this amazing loose rendering of glass, truly inspiring.

It is no wonder that this painting has received so much attention over the past 100 years, it is truly something special! If you are ever in Washington DC, (and if you love museums you must go), do visit the Phillips Collection, the neighborhood is full of embassy’s which is delightful, and the museum itself also has a room of four or so Mark Rothko paintings in addition to other great works.