Like Olympia, The Luncheon on the Grass is one of the Musée d’Orsay's most iconic paintings.
It's regarded as a pillar of modern art and still unnerves people today.
In this painting, Manet also draws inspiration from a famous Renaissance artwork - this time by Raphael.
Once again, he replaces a goddess with a naked courtesan - a provocative choice which the public would have immediately picked up on.
The woman’s nudity has no mythological or allegorical reason to be here - the only acceptable reason for depicting a naked woman at the time.
Like with Olympia, Manet's style also deeply shocked the audience - with its jarring colours, visible brushstrokes and skewing of perspective.
The public despised it.
Yet, it captivated others - Picasso, for instance, created over 150 versions of it!
Today the painting continues to unsettle viewers.
Much like Olympia, the woman’s gaze is both provocative and unapologetic - as though daring the viewer to move on or come closer!
