The painting depicts a picnic scene in nature, where a naked woman sits next to two fully clothed men. The composition was controversial due to the contrast between the nude female figure and the clothed men as well as the realistic portrayal of the figures, which were portraits of the artist's close acquaintances. In the background, a woman bathing in a stream is visible.

Portrait of the Creator

  • Artist

    Edouard Manet

  • Date of birth and death

    23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883

  • Natinality

    French

  • Style

    Early modernist, Realism to Impressionism transition, loose brushwork, flatness, photographic lighting

  • Significant works

    The Luncheon on the Grass, Olympia, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, The Fifer

Information about the work

  • Year:

    1862-1863

  • Execution technique:

    oil on canvas

  • Location:

    Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France

  • Theme:

    picnic, nudity, everyday life, realism, controversy

Internal Narrative and Creative Framework

  • Inner Narrative

    The painting breaks classical painting conventions, presenting a contemporary social scene with real people and a provocative depiction of a naked woman's body, illustrating the clash between tradition and modernity.

The key to interpreting the work

The work should be considered as a manifestation of the transition from academicism to realism and impressionism, emphasizing observation and honesty in the depiction of human life.

See other works by this artist

Lola de Valence

  • Artist: Edouard Manet
  • Year: 1862
Explore

Music in the Tuileries Garden

  • Artist: Edouard Manet
  • Year: 1862
Explore

Olympia

  • Artist: Edouard Manet
  • Year: 1863
Explore

The Fifer

  • Artist: Edouard Manet
  • Year: 1866
Explore

The Balcony

  • Artist: Edouard Manet
  • Year: 1869
Explore

Effect of Snow at Petit-Montrouge

  • Artist: Edouard Manet
  • Year: 1870
Explore

Self Portrait with a Palette

  • Artist: Edouard Manet
  • Year: 1879
Explore

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere

  • Artist: Edouard Manet
  • Year: 1882
Explore

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