Study for ‘Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe’ (Luncheon on the Grass)

This work was made in preparation for one of the most famous paintings of the 19th century. In 1863, Édouard Manet scandalised the art world with his large, finished version of this composition (now in the Orsay Museum, Paris). It was shocking for its life-size depiction of two nearly naked women alongside fully dressed men in contemporary clothes. Although Manet initially drew inspiration from Renaissance nudes, he rejected the veil of mythology and painted unidealised female figures, one of whom confronts the viewer with her direct gaze.

As in most sketches, some areas are loosely defined, others more fully painted. Manet lavished particular attention on the trunk of the tree on the left and the black jacket of the reclining male figure. The sketch was probably painted as an aid during the creation of the large canvas, which took over a year to complete.