This is the first volume to look in depth at Pierre-Auguste Renoir's iconic Luncheon of the Boating Party (1880-81), now one of the jewels of The Phillips Collection. Renoir's portrayal of an informal gathering includes real people he knew: fellow artists, journalists, critics, collectors, models and actors. Renoir and Friends deconstructs the painting, revealing the stories behind those he painted and explaining his working methods. Extraordinary details, photographs and contextual works - by Renoir and his contemporaries including Gustave Caillebotte, Edgar Degas, Leon Bonnat and Edouard Manet, draw out information about who these people were, and what their inclusion in the painting tells us about Renoir's working practice. Essays by leading academics focus on Renoir's models - including collector Charles Ephrussi and Renoir's future wife Aline Charigot - and look at how the artist created a painting with universal appeal whilst remaining convincingly specific. This beautifully illustrated volume contains over 100 colour images of works by Renoir and his contemporaries, as well as a bibliography and an index.
