In the summer of 1874, Édouard Manet worked at Gennevilliers, frequently visiting Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir in Argenteuil, where Boating was created. Blending a lighter Impressionist palette with the bold diagonals and flat color planes inspired by Japanese prints, Manet delivers a striking, modern vision of leisure. The sailor is believed to be Rodolphe Leenhoff, while the woman’s identity remains a mystery, adding to the work’s allure.