Le Dejeuner Sur L'herbe By Edouard Manet - Essay Example

Le Dejeuner Sur L'herbe By Edouard Manet Aesthetically, the artwork reveals a story that was drawn instead of being written by the painter. It is most likely that the story was a classical myth or a religious parable. However, the story in the painting was left for the viewer to visualize and conclude. Critically, the man and the woman on the left of the painting are looking at the viewer who is viewing the painting. In ordinary circumstances the viewer who is the spectator is most likely to have a keen interest at the nude woman on the painting. The pose of the woman on the paint shows that she does not mind her body being stared by the viewer. The pose is informal and peaceful. Many viewers looking at the painting of the naked woman would be outrageous as this is contrary to the dressing norms and the ethos of a society. The painting is allusive and playful because the images in the paintings have a photographic clarity that is only witnessed when one is inspired to paint an object, person or situation he or she has found himself or herself1. The painting also displays presence of traditionalist air. The two men on the painting are dressed in a manner that is similar to those of the Parisian. The figures present within the paintings are contained within an arch with an invisible curve offsetting the horizontal legs lying on the grass and verticals of the tree trunks. The painting has a direct facture because the gaze of the nude woman symbolizes the artistry revealed in the modern painting. However, to the ordinary viewer in the 21st century the painting proves problematic when an individual tries to give it a critical and historical interpretation. At the time when the painting was done, audiences could not well interpret its meaning because they had to touch with modernism of this century therefore could not tell what the meaning the painter intended by the painting which left many wondering. In my opinion, the painting was addressing the gender polarities and the social and cultural context of the environment and life that were led by individuals in the era. Moreover, the painting reveals a suburb environment because it was the only the rich that were associated with the kind of lifestyle that was composed and lavished. However, the painting also credits a post paradigm of multiple meanings and subject positions that are present in the different societies found within the globe. The painting reveals the artist neutrality that many viewers interpret as his elusiveness, but acknowledges that indeed the painting appeals to the postmodern sensibilities present in this21st era that has been characterized by globalizations of economic, social and economic era2. The painting also reveals theory of negotiated affairs of mutual favors between the four images displayed on the painting and reflects the “negotiated affair of mutual favors” present within the society. In a wider context an individual can view that that both the images on the painting revealed that the women were responsible for providing other favors like sexual favors to the men and they in return dressed like men of class would gain pleasure by paying dearly for the services that were being given to them. Religiously, the painting reveals to a larger extent the immorality that had engrossed the society because the nudity and posture of the painting is contrary to the teachings of the bible. Nudity was something left for only married couple and it was highly sacrilegious for a woman to show her nudity to individuals apart from their husbands. Socially, the painting symbolizes prostitution in the era because it was only prostitutes who could freely reveal their nudity to their clients as they were receiving material gains and other favors from them. However, when compared to other paintings made by other artist, audiences during the era did not see any negative or immoral aspect from the painting especially from the perspective of the catholic view because of the presence of nude female flesh. They could not distinguish a choice between the ideas that sexuality and concerns about morality since they deemed women as physically repulsive beings and were created to argument men in different aspects. They view that nudity was not a strange thing in the then society because women were considered as possessions of men therefore questions rising from morality of their activities were not seriously taken into consideration (Durrant, Nancy. 2013.3. For the artist to draw a nude painting a woman also depicts that he was indeed infatuated by women and had a desire for them. It is the desire that drives him to create the work of art as in away he probably saw them as a contagion that could not be avoided by many in the society. This is witnessed by the nudity and posture taken by the images on the panting. Moreover, the artist was also infatuated by the good life as witnessed in the painting. He deemed that individuals were probably at peace as revealed by the posture when they had all the necessities of life like eating and living lavishly and more so being in the company of beautiful women. Critically investigating, the nude woman in the painting must have been lesbian as she reveals the artist aspect of interaction between the studios on the represented frisson of a heterosexual desire4. Analyzing the painting socially, it reveals that it is probable that the artist might have had a secret life he was leading. The painting is a dream image possessed by the artist since one can notice the biographical component and also a sense of history in its own form. The painting is not certain because the artist deliberately wanted it not to be a clear. He is playing a game and using famous arts derived from the past to hide his motive in the painting. Additionally, he encouraged the viewers to come up with interpretations of the different meanings of his piece of art while at the same time did not give chance o traditional thinking of his narrative by incorporating elements of modernism in the work of art. The painting reveals aspects of comparable illegibility as he aimed at over simplifying works of arts done in the past and which could shed light into the actual meaning of his painting. The landscape in the painting reveals that it was a family owned property and the images in the painting was typical family model. But how can a typical family model reveal so much nudity? In my opinion, the images present on the painting might swap sexual partners present in a family model. A keen examination of the illusion of the artist family reveals presence of this as his wife’s paternity is questionable and different theories suggest that his wife might have been fathered by his own father5. Therefore, the painting disguises family secrets of the artist under the Vail that it was a perfect example of a social commitment of modern family life. Other works by the same artist also reveals elements of subjective paintings of the painting in question without give a clear meaning of the intentionality behind the works. Conclusion In its time, the painting was perceived differently from this century. In its time, it was common for meetings between painter and models to influence the qualities of the painting. Nude paintings or pictures of women at the time were highly appreciated and adored by audiences as they interpreted morality differently from how individuals interpret morality in this century. The women in majority of the paintings resemble women in the contemporary Paris and they were models that were viewed as goddesses by their audiences due to their courage and beauty that was loathed by many within the century. However, such paintings were not highly appreciated by the public because they were common and women during the era were considered as property by males who were characterized to be chauvinist. Most women who were seen naked in portraits were considered to be prostitutes who were forced by circumstances to pose naked to make their daily earnings. Most men were guarding over these kinds of paintings and they considered that these would corrupt their families; therefore, they would protect their families from viewing these kinds of paintings. In the modern society, it is most likely the painting will be censured because it is considered a discourse on obscenity by the public and other concerned individuals. The painting reveals the contemporary women who are renowned to posses’ dirty bodies and indecent posses that are not acceptable to the public viewing as it is highly considered to be pornographic in nature. Le Dejeuner Sur L'herbe By Edouard Manet Bibliography Main, V. R. 2008. G2: Women: The naked truth: Manet's favourite model, victorine meurent, has often been dismissed as a drunk and a prostitute. but as V R main discovers, she was actually an ambitious artist. The Guardian, Oct 03, 2008. http://search.proquest.com/docview/244310397?accountid=458 (accessed December 7, 2013). Brown, Marilyn R. 1999. Manet's le dejeuner sur L'herbe. CAA.Reviews (May 05), http://search.proquest.com/docview/89211462?accountid=458 (accessed December 7, 2013). Cumming, Laura. 2011. Observer: THE NEW REVIEW: Critics: Art: Thoroughly modern manet still mesmerises: Manet's dazzling ability to capture his subjects and captivate his viewers is given a personal dimension in the first major survey for 30 years: Manet: The inventor of modernity, musee d'orsay, paris; until 3 july. The Observer, Apr 10, 2011. http://search.proquest.com/docview/861229551?accountid=458 (accessed December 7, 2013). Lethbridge, Robert. 2011. AGAINST RECUPERATION: THE FICTIONS OF ART IN L'OEUVRE. Romanic Review 102, (3) (May): 449-463, http://search.proquest.com/docview/1318802975?accountid=458 (accessed December 7, 2013). Durrant, Nancy. 2013. 'The insults are beating down on me like hail'. The Times, Jan 05, 2013. http://search.proquest.com/docview/1266484767?accountid=458 (accessed December 7, 2013). Read More