Pierre-Auguste Renoir's famous painting Luncheon of the Boating Party (1880-81) portrays an informal gathering of 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. Essays by leading academics focus on Renoir's models and look at how the artist created a painting with universal appeal whilst remaining convincingly specific. AUTHOR: Eliza Rathbone is chief curator emerita at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC. SELLING POINTS: . The first volume to look in depth at Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party . Features over 100 colour images of works by Renoir and his contemporaries, from international museum and private collections 102 colour illustrations

Contributions by: Mary Morton, Sylvie Patry, Aileen Ribeiro, Elizabeth Steele, Sara Tas