The painting caught people's attention because it depicted a nude woman seated between two young men enjoying lunch on the grass, with another naked woman bathing in a river in the background.
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Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe, originally called Le Bain, is an artwork created by Edouard Manet during the years 1862 and 1863, painted on canvas. This piece portrays a naked woman alongside two men dressed in formal attire amidst a picnic in a picturesque setting. Initially dismissed by the Salon jury in 1863, Manet took the chance to showcase this piece and two others at the Salon des Refusés in the same year, leading to its rise in public notoriety and debate. The painting can be found in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, while a smaller earlier version is located in the Courtauld Gallery in London.
Having a nude woman at a picnic with a man in casual attire sparked outrage against societal norms, although Émile Zola, who was contemporaneous with Manet, argued that this was a departure from the traditional artworks displayed at the Louvre. Zola believed that the backlash stemmed from a difference in perception towards art, contrasting with the "analytic" style used by Manet, who engaged the subject primarily as a vehicle for artistic expression.
There remain several uncertainties regarding the painting's creation, including when exactly Manet began, how he conceptualized it, and what preparatory steps he undertook. Although Manet claimed his creation had been valued at 25,000 francs in 1871, it remained unsold until 1878, when it was acquired by singer and art collector Jean-Baptiste Faure for merely 2,600 francs.
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Painting "lunch on the grass"
Édouard Manet
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Grade level: middle school
Subject: English
Key terms: painting, woman, lunch, on the grass
