Le Dejeuner

This painting is one of Oscar-Claude Monet's paintings focusing on the outdoor garden setting. It is quite known that the artist favored controlled outdoor settings as such in his garden in Giverny. Oscar-Claude Monet would often give specific instructions to his gardener on how to design the foliage. At one point in time it is believed that Oscar-Claude Monet employed as much as seven gardeners to set the scene that he desired. This oil painting seems quite complex in content. There are many objects. The elements seem to be tapered and the perception of wind has disappeared as is the case with the painting The Artist's Garden at Vetheuil. Depth has been created through overlapping characters in the oil painting. The backdrop of the house serves as the base and the addition of foliage and human figures add dimension. Although this dimension is minimized through coupling several objects into what may seem a column focusing on the right side of the painting. The palette is light and the play of sunlight is discernible even with the shadows of the tree. The central object of the oil painting seems to revolve around the table and food. Although the attention streams away from this and focuses on the human models, the two women on the right and the child on the left. This gives a mysterious note.