Manet: Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe

Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe or Luncheon on the Grass, portrays a naked woman next to two fully clothed men. The woman is much brighter than the rest of the painting which draws your eye to her. This painting was done in 1863, when at that time, this kind of painting would be considered controversial. By portraying the women as nude, it makes her more vulnerable than the two men sitting next to her. The men are also dressed nicely, so they are seen as more mature and higher class than the women. There is also a woman in the back wearing white and the cherries in front of the naked women which both symbolize purity.