Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe
Édouard Manet · 1863
Oil on canvas
Quick answer
Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe (1863) by Édouard Manet is in Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe (Luncheon on the Grass) is an oil painting by French artist Édouard Manet, created in 1863. It depicts a nude woman sitting in a forest alongside two fully dressed young men, with a partially clothed woman bathing in the background. When rejected by the Paris Salon and exhibited at the Salon des Refusés, it caused enormous controversy. The painting is at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and is considered one of the founding works of modern art. World Museum Guide explains what you're looking at and how to see it.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe so controversial?
The painting was controversial because it depicted a recognisably contemporary nude woman having a picnic with two men in modern clothing — rather than using the mythological or historical excuse that normally made painted nudity acceptable. In Giorgione's Concert Champêtre (which Manet referenced), the nude women are timeless and divine; Manet's woman is clearly a modern Parisian. Her direct gaze at the viewer made the erotic transaction visible rather than hidden in classical fiction.
Where is Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe?
The painting is at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris on Level 0, in the ground floor galleries. The Musée d'Orsay is at 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, Paris 7th arrondissement.
What does Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe mean?
The title means 'Luncheon on the Grass' or 'Lunch on the Grass' in French (sometimes translated as 'The Picnic'). It describes the scene literally: a group eating a picnic in the open air. Manet's original title for the work was Le Bain (The Bath), which was changed before exhibition.
Who are the people in Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe?
The nude woman is modelled by Victorine Meurent, Manet's regular model who also appeared in Olympia. The two clothed men are modelled on Manet's brother Gustave Manet (left, in boater hat) and his brother-in-law Ferdinand Leenhoff (right, pointing). The partially clothed woman bathing in the background is unidentified.
What is the Salon des Refusés?
The Salon des Refusés (Exhibition of the Rejected) was an alternative exhibition organised in 1863 by Emperor Napoleon III, in response to the jury of the official Paris Salon rejecting approximately 3,000 works that year. Napoleon III decreed that the rejected works should be shown separately so the public could judge the jury's decisions. The exhibition featured Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe and works by Pissarro, Whistler, and others. It was enormously controversial and attracted large crowds — many came to mock, but it established a precedent for independent exhibition that the Impressionists would later follow.