Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe (Monet, Paris)

Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe (Monet, Paris) refers to a monumental, unfinished painting begun by Claude Monet in 1865 and intended to be exhibited at the Paris Salon. The title translates to "The Luncheon on the Grass." It is important to distinguish it from Édouard Manet's earlier and similarly titled painting, Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe (Manet, Paris), which debuted at the Salon des Refusés in 1863 and caused considerable scandal.

Monet’s Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe aimed to be a modern, large-scale depiction of contemporary life, a picnic scene in the forest of Fontainebleau, a popular recreational area for Parisians. The work was significantly larger than Manet's, measuring approximately 4.6 meters high by over 6 meters wide. Monet envisioned capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere in the open air, a key element of what would become Impressionism.

Due to various setbacks, including financial difficulties and creative disagreements with his patrons, Monet never fully completed the original canvas. He cut the painting into sections, abandoning his initial grand ambition. Two significant fragments survive. One large central section is housed at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, while another smaller section is held at the Musée Pouchkine in Moscow. These surviving fragments provide valuable insight into Monet's artistic intentions and techniques during this crucial period in his development. Preparatory studies and sketches also exist, offering further understanding of the overall composition. The work is considered significant in the history of art for its ambition and its contribution to the evolution of Impressionism, even in its unfinished state.