Pierre-Auguste Renoir - On the Terrace

 

    This painting dates to 1881 and was initially titled "The Two Sisters" (Les Deux Sœurs) by Renoir himself. However, the first owner, art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, renamed it "On the Terrace," the name by which we know it today. This is because the two girls depicted were not actually sisters, but two models chosen by the painter.

    The older girl was Jeanne Darlot, a future actress of 18 years old at the time, while the younger one was never definitively identified, but it is believed to be an acquaintance or relative of Jeanne. The two posed for Renoir on the terrace of the "Maison Fournaise," a restaurant on the island of Chatou, on the banks of the Seine.