Study for 'Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe' (Luncheon on the Grass)
- Artist: Édouard Manet
- Date: 1863
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the Study for “Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe” (Luncheon on the Grass) by Édouard Manet, painted in 1863 as a preparatory sketch for the larger, now world‑famous canvas that made headlines that same year. In this oil on canvas study, Manet set out the life‑size arrangement that would later ignite scandal: two almost naked women beside fully dressed men in contemporary clothes, a composition that challenged the conventions of the day.
The sketch balances loose, gestural areas with spots of more deliberate painting. Notice how Manet pays special attention to the tree’s trunk on the left, its bark rendered with almost tactile detail, and to the black jacket of the reclining male figure, which stands out against the softer background. These focal points hint at the visual hierarchy he intended for the final work.
The woman’s direct gaze is a striking moment of confrontation; she doesn’t hide her presence but faces the viewer, underscoring Manet’s departure from idealized mythological nudes toward unidealised realism. This approach would define much of his later work and influence the Impressionists that followed.
The study itself likely served as a visual rehearsal for the canvas, a tool to experiment with light, composition, and the interplay of clothed and unclothed bodies—a task that took Manet over a year to finish. As you look at this oil on canvas, you’re seeing the blueprint that pushed 19th‑century art into a new, more candid direction.
See it in person
Study for 'Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe' (Luncheon on the Grass) hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
