Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe by Édouard Manet

Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass) is a larger oil on canvas painting by French artist Édouard Manet created in 1862-1863. This unnerving and astounding composition bring in an entirely new painterly method – it contains the genres of portraiture, landscape and still life within a single painting.

The large scale of the painting was generally reserve for religious, mythological, or historical subjects.

The background of the painting was lacks depth, as if the piece was painted in a studio rather than outdoors – with the light is low and almost no shadows. Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass) depicts a female nude and a scantily dressed female bather casually having a casual picnic with two fully and fashionably dressed men in a rural setting. In front of them is a basket of fruit and bread.

The woman’s pale body is starkly lit as she stares directly at the viewer. The two men seem to be engaged in conversation, ignoring the woman. At that time, when pictorial art only allowed for the feminine nude to be depicted in connection with myths and allegories, Manet, himself, re-contextualizes the worn out and overdone subject matter. He refreshed the concept and idea of female nudity in art, specifically paintings.

Despite all critics about this painting, Manet managed to bridge the gap between two majors of art movements: Realism and Impressionism. He also played an important role in the art scene of 19^th century Europe.

In return for his bravery and brilliant creative mind, Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe has become one of Manet’s breakthroughs – and modern’s art’s most famous artworks.

The painting can be viewed in Musée d’Orsay Museum, Paris.