Description
Luncheon on the Grass is one of the most famous paintings by the French artist Édouard Manet, created in 1863. The work depicts two men and a nude woman in a forest clearing, enjoying a country lunch.
What made this painting notable at the time was the great controversy and scandal it provoked because of the realistic depiction of a nude woman in the presence of two fully dressed men. The work broke the aesthetic and social conventions of the era and was considered immoral and indecent by many critics and viewers.
Another interesting fact is that Manet drew inspiration from classical works of the Italian Renaissance, such as Giorgione’s La Tempesta and Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment, when creating this painting. However, unlike the classical works, Manet presented his figures in a contemporary setting and in a more realistic, unvarnished manner, which was an innovation in the art of his day.
Finally, the painting was rejected by the Paris Salon, the principal art exhibition of the time, which prompted Manet and other artists to establish their own alternative exhibition, known as the Salon des Refusés. That event was a milestone in art history and helped pave the way for avant-garde movements such as Impressionism.
Luncheon on the Grass stands as testimony to Manet’s refusal to conform to convention and to his initiation of a new freedom in subjects and modes of traditional representation. This painting can be regarded as a possible starting point for modern art.
Luncheon on the Grass ranks No. 95 on the list of famous paintings