Manet's Le déjeuner sur l'herbe ("The Luncheon on the Grass") — originally titled Le Bain (The Bath) — is a large oil on canvas painting. Created in 1862 and 1863, its juxtaposition of a female nude with fully dressed men sparked controversy when the work was first exhibited at the Salon de Refuse. The piece is now in the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. The shock value of a woman, naked as can be, casually lunching with two fully dressed men, which was an affront to the propriety of the time, was accentuated by the familiarity of the figures.One interpretation of the work is that it depicts the rampant prostitution that occurred in the Boise de Boulgogne, a large park at the western outskirts of Paris, at the time. This prostitution was common knowledge in Paris, but was considered a taboo subject unsuitable for a painting. Indeed, the Bois de Boulogne is to this day known as a pick-up place for prostitutes and illicit sexual activity after dark, just as it had been in the 19th century.

Peter J. Gartner, Art and Architecture: Musee D'Orsay, 2001, p.180