Renoir: Luncheon of the Boating Party

• X-rays of the painting reveal little-known compositional details
• Archival photographs identify the revellers

Renoir masterfully created Luncheon of the Boating Party‘s enchanting mood by capturing a contemporary moment – 19th-century leisure on the Seine – and the universal appeal of celebration. He also combined several of the traditional categories of painting: still life, landscape, portraiture and genre. The result is a timeless work that captures the atmosphere of an idyllic place, where friends share the pleasures of food, wine and conversation. Scala’s 4-fold format is ideal for displaying this exquisite painting. Its 8 sections include archival photographs, which identify the revellers. X-rays of the painting reveal little-known compositional changes and details, whilst fold-out images bring this late 19th-century icon to life.