The Return of the Boating Party 1862

Pierre-Auguste Renoir created this oil on canvas painting titled “The Return of the Boating Party,” sometime in the late nineteenth century. The image depicts the leisure activities of the Parisian bourgeoisie, a common subject in Renoir's work. Made in France, its evocation of leisure speaks to the increasing opportunities for bourgeois recreation as France industrialized. It’s hard not to wonder if Renoir was aware of how these leisure activities were made possible by an ever more exploited working class. Art historical accounts of the Impressionists often focus on the style, brushstrokes, and formal qualities of the painting. However, as historians, we seek to understand the complex social dynamics that shape artistic production. We ask, how does this image reflect the values and norms of its time, and what can it tell us about the relationship between art, society, and power? By examining period documents, literature, and social histories, we gain a deeper understanding of what this painting meant in its own time, and what it might mean to us today.