Two Sisters (On the Terrace)

How to look at it

Start at the scarlet hat, the hottest spot on the canvas. Drop to the navy jacket and the cool shadow it makes, then to the bright basket of wool in the girl’s lap. Behind them the river and blossoming trees stay loose and blurred, so the two faces feel in focus and close.

Why this one

Not really sisters. The title is a story. The older model was Jeanne Darlaud, an aspiring actress, and the child was not related to her.

The same terrace as the boating party. Renoir painted it in spring 1881 on the terrace of the Restaurant Fournaise at Chatou, the riverside restaurant where he set Luncheon of the Boating Party.

Two kinds of painting. Loose brushwork behind, careful, tightly painted faces in front, as the Art Institute of Chicago describes it.

This canvas

Oil on canvas, 100.4 × 80.9 cm (39½ × 31⅞ in), inscribed lower right "Renoir '81". The Art Institute of Chicago, 1933.455.

Fact gap. The title says sisters. They weren’t. Read who the two models really were, and where the title came from.

Sizes vs the original

• 16×20 about two-fifths of the true height, for a hallway or bedroom
• 18×24 suits most living rooms
• 24×30 the terrace starts to own the wall

Paper & ship

Archival matte fine art paper, no bleed, holds the navy and scarlet without gloss. Made to order, rolled in a tube. Thin warm wood or soft gold suits the light better than thick black.

Quick answers

Which Renoir is this? Two Sisters (On the Terrace), 1881, at the Art Institute of Chicago. Not Luncheon of the Boating Party.

Are they really sisters? No. The young woman was the actress Jeanne Darlaud; the child was an unrelated model. Durand-Ruel gave the title in 1882.

Is this an original painting? No. It is an archival reproduction of the Art Institute of Chicago’s canvas.

Is the image public domain? Yes. The Art Institute of Chicago releases it under CC0. The museum does not endorse this shop.

How does it ship? Printed when you order, rolled in a tube. Frame not included.