Artist painting breakfast on the grass. Edouard Manet “Luncheon on the Grass” and funny variations of the painting

Some art lovers, who are far from this type of art by occupation, confuse two artists - Edouard Manet and Claude Monet and no wonder: after all, they were both French, born in Paris, contemporaries with an age difference of only 8 years (Manet is older), drank, had lively discussions in the same cafe "Gerbois" in Montmartre, painted together in the open air and both stood at the origins of impressionism, and also both painted a painting with the same title - “Breakfast on the Grass”. And the last names are similar. So let's figure it out.

Edouard Manet was born in 1832 into the family of a high-ranking official; his parents predicted a future for him as a lawyer. When Edouard Manet failed his naval exams twice, the family had to come to terms with his passion for painting. In 1850, Manet entered the workshop classical painting Tom Couture, where he studied for six years. Dissatisfied with the dominance of academicism, Edouard Manet, who was strongly influenced by Velazquez, constantly entered into disputes with his teacher and tried to find new ways of depiction in painting. At the same time, the artist longed for fame and recognition from the official Salon. But his work was rejected over and over again. In 1859, the Salon did not allow the painting “The Absinthe Lover” to pass through, and in 1863, the painting “Lunch on the Grass”.

Edouard Manet

The Paris Salon is one of the most prestigious art exhibitions France. It was possible to gain fame and gain recognition only by going through the Salon. Any artist could officially exhibit there, but not every artist was allowed in: academicism and tradition ruled the show. In 1863, a scandal occurred: about three thousand works were not allowed to appear at the exhibition. And then, in order to calm the indignant artists, Napoleon III announced the opening of an alternative exhibition - the Salon of Les Misérables. The exhibition turned out to be incredibly popular, and the press even began to joke that everyone who entered the official Salon dreamed of being rejected next year. The symbol of the 1963 Salon of Les Misérables was Edouard Manet’s “Luncheon on the Grass.”

Edouard Manet Breakfast on the grass Museum d'Orsay Paris

The picture caused a scandal in society. The canvas depicts two slightly strangely dressed dandies and two young ladies: one completely naked, the other half naked. Criticism came from all sides. “Indecent”, “ridiculous”, “indecent” - these are the epithets that were given to the picture. The work aroused delight only among a small group of young people from the Joint Stock Society of Artists and Painters. It is believed that it was Manet’s “Breakfast” that gave impetus to the emergence of impressionism. Two years later, Edouard Manet will present to the viewer even more scandalous work“Olympia”, which will depict a nude contemporary woman who looks more like a prostitute waiting for a client, after which the artist will be accused of immorality and pornography. Before Manet, only mythical gods and goddesses could be naked in a painting. After Manet's death, all of France collected money to purchase the Olympia for Luxembourg Museum by subscription organized by Monet.

Edouard Manet Olympia Museum d'Orsay Paris

In the early 60s. XIX century Edouard Manet moved to the Batignolles district of Montmartre. Nearby was the Guerbois cafe, where he often visited. Having learned that the author of the scandalous “Breakfast on the Grass” and “Olympia” can be found at “Guerbois”, old acquaintances and progressive-minded youth gradually begin to flock there. Since the cafe area was conducive to conversations, the establishment very quickly turned into a place of debate about contemporary art. Without wanting it, Edouard Manet becomes the ideological leader of artists and writers of a new formation, whom the press nicknamed the Batignolles or “Manet’s gang.” Among other bohemians, the “Manet gang” included the writer Emile Zola, photographer Nadar, poet Zachary Astruc, artists Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cezanne, Alfred Sisley and others. Interesting fact: in 1870, a duel took place in this cafe; the discussion between Manet and Duranty ended with Duranty being wounded. Fortunately, the wound turned out to be not serious, and the artists ultimately remained in good relations. Unfortunately, the famous cafe no longer exists.

Edouard Manet cannot be called an impressionist. He used impressionistic techniques and techniques, but on the whole remained a realist, or rather, a generalist. Manet did not participate in any of the eight Impressionist exhibitions, although he became ideological inspirer and a defender of the new movement. As Émile Zola subtly noted, painting can be divided into “painting before Manet and painting after Manet.” Founder and a prominent representative impressionism was Claude Monet, who, together with his friends, developed the basic principles and techniques of working in the open air, introduced serial work and never changed the chosen style.

Claude Monet

Claude Monet was born in 1840 into the family of a grocer and was expected to work in a shop, but he early began to gain fame as a cartoonist throughout the town of Le Havre. And after demobilization from the army, Claude Monet entered the painting studio of Charles Gleyre, where he found new friends: Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Frederico Basile, who ten years later, together with other young artists, formed the Joint Stock Society of Painters. In 1874, in the studio of the photographer Nadar, the Joint-Stock Society of Painters opened an independent exhibition, independent of the Salon. The presented works were distinguished by a new look at painting: the plot became secondary, the main attention was paid to colors and the play of light, there were no clear lines, the canvases were painted with strokes, mainly on fresh air. The painting “Breakfast on the Grass” by Claude Monet was made in a completely new pictorial manner. Small, separately placed strokes of almost pure colors, with which the Impressionists painted their pictures, merged at a distance in the eyes of the viewer, creating in him a feeling of changeability, mobility of the depicted - light and joyful.. No one before the Impressionists managed to come so close to the direct and living perception of nature They knew how to capture the moment “here and now”, focusing all their attention on the transmission of light and shades of color.

Claude Monet. Breakfast on the grass

Claude Monet took over the organization of the exhibition. Among other paintings, his work “Impression. Sunrise". From the title of this painting with light hand The name of the new direction came from the critic Louis Leroy, who visited the exhibition and wrote a caustic article about the “impressed” in the satirical newspaper “Charivari”. That year the public laughed at the young artists. Very little time will pass, impressionism will come into fashion and open the way for the development of new directions in the fine arts.

Claude Monet Impression. Sunrise

During his lifetime, Edouard Manet never received due recognition. At the age of 51, his leg was amputated and he died a few days later. Claude Monet outlived his mentor by forty-three years and died at the zenith of his fame.

By the way, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow has a rich collection impressionist paintings, in particular, there are paintings by Claude Monet “Breakfast on the Grass”, “Rouen Cathedral” (at noon and evening), etc., 11 paintings in total. (http://www.arts-museum.ru/data/people/authors/ 0000_1000/5668_Klod_Mone/index.php) . Towards the end of his life, the artist almost loses his sight, he is attracted to serial works, he creates the compositions “Haystacks”, “Rouen Cathedral”, “Water Lilies”, views of London... It is these series that allow him to create amazing decorative compositions, as if developing in time and space. In them, he strives to convey different degrees of illumination of the same objects in different weather, at different times of the day, using a variety of tones of his palette.

A bullfinch in the leaves, a forest that looks like a decoration, disproportionate figures, a crumbling composition. Judging by the number of absurdities, it seems that Edouard Manet is a novice artist. However, he will retain the same style in more recent years. later paintings. Manet seems to be ridiculing the human habit of seeing the “correct”, the academic, in paintings. How did this come back to him?

Plot

The naked woman, obviously not in the role of a goddess or other mythical entity, shamelessly looks into the viewer's eyes. The second woman, also not particularly hiding her nakedness, is busy bathing. She looks disproportionately large compared to the figures on foreground. The gentlemen, dressed too primly for a picnic, are arguing heatedly.

Nature seems decorative, as if Manet painted not in the open air (which he assured everyone of), but while sitting in the studio. Carelessness in the elaboration of details, rough brushstrokes, shadows placed in the wrong direction - for such mistakes, fans of academicism called Manet a painter and a half-educated person.

The plot is taken, I think, from life. Returning one day from Argenteuil, a suburb of Paris - there, by the way, during for long years Claude Monet lived and worked - the artist got to work. The Sunday picnic may even have taken place with model Victorine Meurant, who is credited with more than just a creative connection with the painter. At the time of painting, they were already breaking up - Manet married someone else, his music teacher Suzanne Leenhoff. By the way, his wife’s brother Ferdinand is depicted with portrait accuracy in this painting. Just like the artist’s brother Gustav.

In the lower left corner is a frog, and not far from it are cherries. Frogs were called prostitutes, and cherries were a symbol of voluptuousness. Women are like food, which men dispose of as they please.

Context

Manet hoped that the painting would be taken to the Paris Salon. But, naturally, this did not happen. Even Napoleon III, a connoisseur and provocateur in art, who proposed that everyone who was not accepted for the exhibition be exhibited at the Salon of Rejected, turned away from Luncheon on the Grass.

“Some naked street girl,” wrote the critic Louis Etienne, “shamelessly positioned herself between two dandies in ties and city suits. They look like schoolchildren on vacation, imitating the revelry of adults, and I try in vain to understand what the meaning of this obscene riddle is.”

The public did not understand how on a canvas whose dimensions were more suitable for battle scenes, men and naked women could be depicted so crudely and provocatively. The lack of expression of volume in Manet’s paintings is the result of his passion Japanese art. Admiring the technique of artists from the Land of the Rising Sun, Manet abandoned the elaboration of color and light nuances. As in prints, the artist concentrated on line and contour. Contemporaries called his paintings unfinished, careless and artless.

The fate of the artist

Manet was born into a decent family. His father worked in the Ministry of Justice, his mother was the daughter of a French diplomat. It’s easy to imagine what was expected from the child. But little Edward categorically did not want to study, even painting, which he had been drawn to since childhood. The child was frightened by rules, traditions, and academicism.

In search of himself, he sailed to Brazil, traveled around Europe, studying the works of old masters. Early paintings created him the image of a promising artist. But quite quickly both critics and buyers turned their backs on him. The provocative paintings that refused to be exhibited were a slap in the face to taste.

It must be said that in his personal life Manet adhered to free morals. He had affairs with models in the presence of a bride; in his youth he fell ill with syphilis, the complications of which brought him to his grave.

Manet, by the way, was one of the first adherents of the sketch. Walking through the Tuileries, where Parisian bohemia gathered on weekends, the artist quickly recorded scenes from life. Contemporaries did not perceive this as painting, believing that such drawings were only suitable for illustrations in magazines and reports.

Together with Pissarro, Cézanne, Monet, Renoir, and Degas, they created a community of progressive painters, which is conventionally called the Batignolles school. They didn't want to follow the rules official art and sought to find new, fresh forms, ways of transmitting the light environment, the air enveloping objects.

They sought to get as close as possible to how a person sees a particular object. Some semblance of Manet's recognition appeared in the 1890s. His paintings began to be acquired by private and state assemblies. However, by that time the artist was no longer alive.

Today's picture French artist Edouard Manet's 19th-century Luncheon on the Grass is considered a masterpiece of impressionism, and in 1863 the painting came as a real shock to the Parisian public. The painting was refused to be exhibited at the Paris Salon, and Manet himself acquired a reputation as a reckless rebel.

1. The Parisian creative elite mocked the canvas

2. Manet became a sensation at the Salon des Refugees

The “Salon of the Rejected” featured artists whose names are familiar to every art connoisseur today. Among the paintings of such masters as Pizarro, Whistler and Cezanne, Manet's painting created a real sensation. Thanks to its unconventional presentation of nudity, the painting became the main attraction of the exhibition. But this does not mean that the film was to the taste of the audience. They say that men escorted their wives past the painting as quickly as possible, and then returned back to admire it themselves. Manet's work caused ridicule and outrage among critics.

3. The context of the painting caused controversy

It is worth noting that naked women in paintings became the subject of classical art long before Manet, but nudes, as a rule, were depicted as goddesses. In Manet's painting "Luncheon on the Grass" main character was not a goddess at all. In the foreground a naked woman is visible, and next to her are two people deep in conversation. People in modern attire emphasize Manet's intention to show real people And real events. Critics were also outraged by the fact that the woman in the foreground “shamelessly looks at the audience, not at all embarrassed by her nudity.”

4. Manet originally titled the painting Le bain (The Bathing)

Manet originally titled his painting Bathing, probably to give a “softer” explanation of female nudity. But when the painting caused a stir for its overt sexuality, the artist jokingly nicknamed it “a picnic for four.” It was the second name, although slightly changed, that stuck.

5. Reference to Raphael

In 1515, the Renaissance artist Raphael created the painting "The Judgment of Paris." More than 300 years later, Manet, inspired by the work of Raphael, depicted a nude woman and men in poses identical to the seated group in the lower right corner of the Judgment of Paris.

6. The concept of the painting was also borrowed from the Renaissance

The combination of clothed men and naked women caused quite a stir in Paris, but it was by no means new topic. In 1510, the painting "Rural Concert" was painted (which was previously considered a painting by Giorgione, but now art historians suggest that it is the work of the early Titian). It depicted a similar scene.

7. Dressed men are relatives of Manet

One of them is his brother Eugene Manet. And the other is his future brother-in-law, the Dutch sculptor Ferdinand Leenhoff.

8. Nude woman - Manet's favorite model

The nude woman in Manet's painting is Quiz-Louise Meurand. She was popular muse Parisian painters of the late 1800s. Quiz was given the nickname "Shrimp" due to her petite build, pink face and red hair. She posed for Manet not only for “Luncheon on the Grass,” but also for other paintings: “Portrait of Quiz Meurant,” “Street Singer,” “Mademoiselle. Quiz in a matador costume", "Olympia", "Woman with a parrot", "Guitar Player" and "Railroad".

9. Manet and Meran shocked the audience with another painting - “Olympia”

In the same year, the artist painted another painting with a naked woman, for which Meuran again posed. It depicts a red-haired lady reclining on a white pillow. At the Paris Salon in 1865, the painting caused one of the most big scandals in the history of art, since it main character was completely far from the classic nude goddesses, but demonstrated the sexuality of an ordinary woman.

10. Nudity in Manet’s paintings damaged Meurant’s reputation.

Due to the frankness of the paintings, many assumed that Manet and Meurand were lovers, but this was just the tip of the gossip iceberg. The popular interpretation of "Breakfast on the Grass" and "Olympia" assumed that these brazen naked women should be ladies of free behavior. This was fueled by rumors that Myoran was promiscuous and liked to drink. In fact, she lived to be 83 and achieved recognition.

11. Meran herself later became an artist

In 1876, Meurand first submitted a self-portrait to the Paris Salon, but she was refused. She then exhibited her paintings at this prestigious venue in 1879, 1885 and 1904, and in 1903 Meurant was included in the respected "Community of French Artists". Unfortunately, only one painting of hers has survived - “Palm Sunday”, which was discovered in 2004 and is now in storage. historical museum Colomba.

12. "Breakfast on the Grass" is more than is usually assumed.

15. These works made Manet the father of impressionism

In "Lunch on the Grass" they not only collided cultural elements different times. Manet also rejected the rules of proportion, most noticeably by the woman in the background washing herself in the river. She is disproportionately large compared to the men in front of her. Over time, Manet's rebellious style inspired many artists such as James Tissot, Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Pablo Picasso.

Inspiration "Breakfast on the Grass"

In 1863, the artist Edouard Manet painted his masterpiece, Luncheon on the Grass. The idea for the painting came together during a walk. As the artist’s friend Antonin Proust recalled, one day, while exercising according to Argenteuil, Manet saw women bathing. He decided to capture nudes and offer a nude painting to the Paris Salon. The artist wanted to depict some kind of “pleasure walk” - either “swimming” or “breakfast on the grass.”


Giorgione "Rural Concert", 1510. It's about this picture
Edouard Manet remembered when he conceived his “Luncheon on the Grass”

In search of a suitable background, Manet remembered Giorgione’s painting “Rural Concert”, and spied the composition itself in the engraving “The Judgment of Paris” by Marc Raimondi. He did not hesitate to “quote” the masterpieces of the old masters, only instead of “invisible” nymphs and goddesses against the backdrop of the landscape he depicted real people busy with their usual affairs.

Engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi "The Judgment of Paris", 1513-1514.

Manet called his innovative method fragmentation - the transfer of a classical fragment from his native environment to another - modern one. But, as often happens in art, neither critics nor society were able to appreciate the genius of Manet’s idea: the painting was considered obscene and was not allowed to be exhibited at the Salon.

By order of Emperor Napoleon III, it, along with other “non-format” paintings, was placed in a special room, which later became known as the “Salon of the Rejected.” The immoral plot of the picture: two naked women relaxing in nature in the company of men, caused a subsequent wave of imitations.

Pablo Picasso. "Breakfast on the grass." 1960

For a century and a half various artists, including famous ones, interpreted this picture in their own way. Many, naturally, with humor. The Russians especially distinguished themselves. Compared to the original, their “Breakfasts on the Grass” look like a caricature.

Wynn Chamberlain. "Breakfast on the grass." 1964

Fernando Botero. "Breakfast on the grass." 1969

Benon Libersky. "Breakfast on the grass." 1984

Yu Mingjun. "Breakfast on the grass." 1996

Don't be surprised that all the characters in the picture have the same face. This Chinese artist always depicts only himself. By the way, this painting was put up for sale for $1.5 million.

Ivan Lubennikov. "Breakfast on the grass." 2009

Vasily Shulzhenko. "Breakfast on the grass."

True, for some reason they have one woman between them. It is not clear where the second bather is. But in the background on the right there are some ships of terrible size, aircraft carriers or something on combat duty? Well, the whole country in one picture!

***
Who knows, Manet’s painting would have been known now had it not been for an unforeseen event in the spring of 1863, which opened up the history of world art new era. After all, then, a month before the opening of the next Salon, it became known that about four thousand works were not allowed by the “valiant” jury to be included in the exhibition. A scandal broke out, in which the emperor himself had to intervene.

“Young man in a maho costume” and “Portrait of Mademoiselle V. in an espada costume.”
These two paintings by Manet were also exhibited at the 1863 Salon.

Napoleon III made a decision: to open the salon, and two weeks later to hang the paintings rejected by the jury in the neighboring halls of the Palace of Industry. Let the public watch both exhibitions and draw their own conclusions about what is worthy of their attention and what is not!

Edouard Manet "Music in the Tuileries Garden" 1859. And with this painting he failed to conquer the Salon.

The society was shocked: this happened for the first time! The newspapers wrote
that this exhibition is nothing more than a “fad” of His Majesty the Emperor.

Music: David Garrett "Air"

***
Edouard Manet "In the greenhouse" 1879.

Breakfast on the grass. Edouard Manet.

19th-century French artist Edouard Manet's painting "Luncheon on the Grass" is considered
a masterpiece of impressionism, and in 1863 the painting became a real shock for the Parisian public.
The painting was refused to be exhibited at the Paris Salon, and Manet himself acquired a reputation
reckless rebel.
The Parisian creative elite mocked the canvas

*The Salon of the Rejected* was opened on the second floor of this building.

Manet tried to exhibit the painting at the Paris Salon in 1863, but the nudity of the women
among dressed men so stunned the critics of the salon organizers that they refused
to the artist. Thus, Manet's painting was among the 3,000 paintings not admitted to
participation in the Paris Salon. For them, Emperor Napoleon III ordered
a separate exhibition called "The Salon of the Rejected". There the public saw
Manet's masterpiece.
Manet became a sensation at the Salon des Refugees

Edouard Manet.

Artists whose names are familiar to everyone today took part in the “Salon of the Rejected”
art connoisseur. Among the paintings of such masters as Pizarro, Whistler and Cezanne,
Manet's painting created a real sensation. Thanks to the unconventional presentation
The painting's nudity became the main attraction of the exhibition. But that doesn't mean at all
that the picture was to the taste of the audience. They say men as quickly as possible
They walked their wives past the canvas, and then returned back to take a look for themselves.
Manet's work caused ridicule and outrage among critics.

The context of the painting has caused controversy

Fragment of a painting by Manet.

It is worth noting that naked women in paintings have become the subject of classical
art long before Manet, but goddesses were usually depicted naked. In the picture
Manet's "Breakfast on the Grass" the main character was not a goddess at all. In the foreground
a naked woman is visible, and next to her are two people deep in conversation. People in modern
The clothing emphasizes Manet's intention to show real people and real events.
Critics were also outraged by the fact that the woman in the foreground “shamelessly looks at the audience,
not at all embarrassed by his nakedness."

Manet originally titled his painting Bathing, probably to give a "softer"
explanation of female nudity. But when the picture caused a storm of excitement for its frank
sexuality, the artist jokingly nicknamed it “a picnic for four.” Exactly the second
the name, although slightly changed, stuck.

Engraving from Raphael's painting *The Judgment of Paris*.

In 1515, the Renaissance artist Raphael created the painting "The Judgment of Paris." More
300 years later, Manet, inspired by the work of Raphael, depicted a nude
woman and men in poses identical to the seated group in the lower right corner of the "Court"
Paris."

The concept of the painting was also borrowed from the Renaissance

Country concert. Tiitsian.

The combination of clothed men and naked women caused quite a stir in Paris,
but this was by no means a new topic. In 1510, the painting "Rural" was painted
concert" (which was previously considered a painting by Giorgione, but now art critics
it is assumed that this is the work of early Titian). It depicted something like this
scene.
The dressed men are relatives of Manet. One of them is his brother Eugene Manet. And the other
- future brother-in-law, Dutch sculptor Ferdinand Leenhoff.

The nude woman is Manet's favorite model

Quiz-Louise Meurand in Manet's painting *Woman with a Parrot*

The nude woman in Manet's painting is Quiz-Louise Meurand. She was a popular muse
Parisian painters of the late 1800s. Quiz was given the nickname "Shrimp" because
petite build, pink face and red hair. She posed for Manet not only
for “Breakfast on the Grass”, but also for other paintings: “Portrait of Quiz Meurant”, “Street
singer, "Mademoiselle. Quiz in a matador costume", "Olympia", "Woman with a Parrot",
"Guitar Player" and "Railroad".

Manet and Meurand shocked the public with another painting - "Olympia"

In the same year, the artist painted another painting with a naked woman, for which
Meran posed again. It depicts a red-haired reclining lady lying on
white pillow. At the Paris Salon in 1865, the painting became the cause of one of the
biggest scandals in the history of art, since its main character was
completely far from the classic nude goddesses, but demonstrated sexuality
an ordinary woman.

Nudity in Manet's paintings damaged Meurand's reputation

Due to the frankness of the paintings, many assumed that Manet and Meurand were lovers,
but that was just the tip of the gossip iceberg. Popular interpretation of "Breakfast"
on the grass" and "Olympia" suggested that these brazen naked women must be ladies
free behavior. This was fueled by rumors that Myoran was confused and in love
drink up. In fact, she lived to be 83 and achieved recognition.

Meran later became an artist herself

Palm Sunday. Meran.

In 1876, Meurand first presented a self-portrait to the Paris Salon, but she was
denied. She then exhibited her paintings at this prestigious venue in 1879, 1885
and 1904, as well as in 1903, Meurant was included in the respected "Community of French
artists." Unfortunately, only one of her paintings has survived - "Palm Sunday",
which was discovered in 2004 and is now housed in the Colombes Historical Museum.

“Breakfast on the Grass” is larger than usually assumed - The dimensions of the painting are 208 × 264.5 cm.

Manet painting in the gallery.

There is a small still life in the scandalous painting

Still life in a painting by Manet.

In the lower left corner of the picture on removed dress with polka dots you can see a basket with
fruits and round bread.

Manet stunned the art world again 20 years later

Bar in the Folies Bergere. Manet.

In 1882 Parisian artist presented his latest great job- "Bar in
Folies Bergère". Like Luncheon on the Grass and Olympia, this picture featured
a red-haired woman is depicted looking at the viewer. This time, as a model
It was not Meran, but a prostitute.

These works made Manet the father of impressionism

“Lunch on the Grass” not only brought together cultural elements from different times. Manet
also rejected the rules of proportion, most noticeably by the woman in the background,
who washes herself in the river. She is disproportionately large compared to men in front
her. Over time, Manet's rebellious style inspired many artists such as
like James Tissot, Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Pablo Picasso.