Page 19 - Maastricht 2022 Catalogue

Eugène Modeste Edmond

Le Poittevin

LUNCHEON ON THE GRASS (DÉJEUNER SUR L’HERBE)

Painted in the coastal town of Étretat, France, Eugène Le Poittevin’s
work alludes to Claude Monet’s famous painting, Déjeuner sur
l’herbe, painted in the same year. Although the two works are
markedly different, the artists align in their command over the
plein air painting style. While Monet depicted his picnic scene on a
monumental scale, Le Poittevin chose more intimate proportions
to depict his holiday scene. Le Poittevin’s Le déjeuner sur l’herbe
portrays a group of well-to-do holidaymakers from the city on
a country outing. Seated on the grass with the Étretat seaside
behind them, they are drinking the milk they just purchased from
the local farmer, who is receiving her payment on the right side of
the composition. The apples fallen from the tree are typical of the
Normandy region and emphasize the importance of the scene’s
natural environment.

Several figures in this painting are undoubtedly recognizable from
another painting by Le Poittevin called Bains de Mer à Étretat. The
woman seated in a white dress with a red ribbon and the standing
woman in profile both feature in Le Poittevin’s other painting and
are posed and dressed in a nearly identical manner. Both of Le
Poittevin’s plein air scenes in Étretat showcase his ability to paint
with remarkable meticulousness and a vibrant palette.

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