While the group of three at the table in the centre of the picture appears calm, the entire surrounding space of the painting is in motion. It is made up of many short brushstrokes, which Vlaminck consistently juxtaposed vertically in the lower part. Red, yellow and orange dominate the picture, creating a veritable blaze of colour. Dark blue provides a harmonious contrast. Details of the motif, such as the tree trunks surrounding the small group, the chair or the implied bar in the top right-hand corner of the picture, are only visible at second glance. The rhythmic composition of the picture, characterised by the many brushstrokes, can be described as an all-over effect, which means that the visual development of the picture is not sorted from foreground to background. Instead, the observer's eye moves erratically over the entire surface, with only the group of figures forming a calm centre.
The three figures, a man in a light blue suit and two women in white dresses, are seated outside at a green table, with another chair empty. Vlaminck rarely painted groups of people. The restaurant is probably La Grenouillère, which the painter painted several times. The title of the painting, 'The Country Breakfast' (French: 'Le Déjeuner champêtre'), and the subject, refer to one of the most famous paintings of the 19th century: Édouard Manet's 'Luncheon in the Country' ('Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe'). It was rejected by the Paris Salon in 1863 because of its nudity. Vlaminck, who saw himself as an artistic rebel, was once again following in the footsteps of an artist who had also taken unconventional paths and provoked with his painting on more than one occasion.
- Material & Technik
- Öl auf Leinwand
- Museum
- via Sothebys London
- Ort & Datierung
- 1905
- Inventarnummer
- MdV_2024_14