Luncheon on the Grass is a theme that numerous artists have interpreted very differently.
The French artist Édouard Manet played a prominent role in the art scene of 19th-century Europe. Working in a unique style, Manet bridged the gap between two major art movements: Realism and Impressionism. One piece that illustrates this distinctive approach is The Luncheon on the Grass (“Le déjeuner sur l’herbe“), a large-scale painting that has become one of Manet’s—and modern art‘s—most famous works.
The Luncheon on the Grass, 1862 by Edouard Manet – “Le déjeuner sur l’herbe”
The Luncheon in the Grass, with its depiction of a nude female with fully clothed men was a controversial piece when it was displayed at the Salon de Refuses in 1863. It was considered an affront to the times, not only because of the stark nudity of the woman in contrast to the men but also because Manet used familiar models for the figures in the painting. While Manet did not embrace the classical subjects popular with his peers and precursors, he did take inspiration from them. The composition of The Luncheon on the Grass is directly inspired by two 16th-century Italian works of art: The Pastoral Concert and The Judgment of Paris. From The Pastoral Concert—a painting that allegorically represents poetry and music—Manet appropriated the dynamic of two clothed males sitting outside with two women: one who is seated and nude, and one who appears to be bathing. Manet is believed to have been inspired to paint The Luncheon on the Grass after viewing this piece in The Louvre, where it remains today.
Today, The Luncheon on the Grass remains Manet’s most well-known work, and one of Paris’ Musée d’Orsay’s highlights. Besides its striking visuals, the museum praises the piece for its context, noting its importance to the modern art movement.
Luncheon on the Grass, 1866-67 – by Claude Monet
In 1865, Claude Monet decided to paint a huge picture – over four by six meters. The title of the future work, and its general idea was a tribute to Luncheon on the grass, Edouard Manet’s painting, which two years earlier had been presented at the famous Salon des Refusés (French for “exhibition of rejects”) and caused a storm of indignation of critics, salon judges and visitors. At that time Claude Monet, a student of a private studio, was hugely impressed by the painting, and decided now to declare his admiration for Manet and make something just as incredible. He did not intend to disturb the public with naked women, as Manet did, he wanted to paint bright sunspots and contrasting deep shadows on the clothes and faces, the grass, and the white veil.
Luncheon on the Grass, 1869 – by Paul Cezanne
The ordinary meanings of a picnic are overlaid here by a strange, dream-like atmosphere. Painted not long after Luncheon on the Grass of Manet, at a time when the picnic was a favored theme as a type of modern idyll – a refreshment of the senses and the whole being through air, light, and informal play – this picture is a measure of Cezanne’s distance from the mood of his contemporaries, even of those to whom he feels closest. His burdened spirit does not enter easily into the freedom and gayety of his friends. He is the odd man at the party, the one without a woman, and among the men in shirtsleeves, he is exceptional in his more formal dress. He cannot surrender to the innocence of the occasion; it is full of mystery and doubts. The third fruit intimates a question.
The Luncheon on the Grass (after Manet),1960 by Pablo Picasso
The painting Luncheon on the Grass by Édouard Manet was the starting point for an extensive series by Picasso, including twenty–seven paintings, one hundred and fifty drawings, eighteen maquettes, and five prints.
Like many artists, Picasso looked to the history of art for inspiration. From the late 1940s to the early 1960s he focused with particular intensity on individual works by past masters, making variations in painting, drawing, sculpture, and prints. The work of these historic figures had a catalytic impact on Picasso at a time when contemporary art—the various forms of Abstract Expressionism, for example—was going in directions counter to his own aesthetic concerns.
Which one was your favorite work of art for “Luncheon on The Grass”?
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