Tiffany Fong
Period 2
Gibson
Discussion Question #1
When analyzing Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe with Giorgione/Titian's Pastoral Symphony, one can see many similarities and differences. When Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe was first introduced in 1863, it was placed under the title of Le Bain at the Salon des Refusés and was the central attraction of laughter and outrage. Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe depicts two nude women and two clothed men having a picnic. The painting presents problems for the viewer as they are forced to question the morality of the scene, whether to consider the nude, naked in a public place and exhibited to the public or if they are an active partner. Even though the intended reaction to the picture is unclear, the presence of the nude controls the viewer's emotional response. The presentation of the figures in soft focus and broadly painted landscape promoted severe criticism. Also, the loose manner of painting contradicts the crisp forms with the bright clothes and food in the left corner. In the main figures, there are only a few lights and darks, which makes them distinctive from the background.
On the contrary, the painting of Titian's Pastoral Symphony, both mysterious in meaning and authorship, has been known as one of the most influential paintings of the nineteenth century. The main figures are two men who are seated on the grass against a vast countryside setting. Titian had been interested on landscapes in his early career, and later on reduced the amount of visual landscape. The theme is as enigmatic as the lighting, as the figures are modulated by the smoky shadow. In the setting here, the man on the left is dressed in red clothing worn by nobles of the period and is playing a lute, while the man on the right wears a brown costume which is typical of peasantry. The men turned towards each other seem oblivious to