 When this painting was first shown to the public at the Salon des Refuses in 1863 it caused an outcry. What upset the critics the most was Manet's audacity in 'copying' the old masters, by parading vulgar modern figures. These were not nymphs and shepherds of myth, but modern Parisian city dwellers indulging their petit-bourgeois passion for picnicking in the country. Also the title of the painting gave no explanation as to why the men were clothed and the woman wasn't.
This painting was painted entirely in Manet's studio. The beautiful landscape is artificial and painted as a backdrop, a stage for the figures. Manet added a humorous touch to the painting by painting in a frog in the bottom left hand corner.
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