The Lunch 1787 - 1793

Editor: This is *Le Déjeuner* or "The Lunch," a print made between 1787 and 1793 by Louis Marin Bonnet. It's got this delicate Rococo style with people gathered outside for a meal. The overall feel is so lighthearted. What strikes you when you look at this work? Curator: I am interested in the scene’s seeming leisure, and how prints such as these functioned in pre-revolutionary France. Bonnet, a master of pastel manner of engraving, helped to circulate images of elite life. Do you notice how the setting is almost theatrical, with the figures arranged like players on a stage? Editor: Yes! It feels like we’re peeking into their world. Was this image trying to portray the real lives of aristocrats, or was it selling some kind of fantasy? Curator: That's a key question. Prints like this one romanticized aristocratic life and played a role in shaping public perception. Look at the idealized setting, the fashionable clothes; these elements created a desirable image that, of course, glossed over the growing social inequalities. Did these kinds of images contribute to the brewing unrest, you think? Editor: Maybe, a little. By presenting such a rosy, exclusive view, perhaps it heightened the frustrations of those excluded from it? Curator: Exactly. It is intriguing that this print was made so close to the Revolution. It serves as a valuable artifact, reminding us of how art and visual culture can both reflect and influence the socio-political landscape. Editor: So, it's less about the literal lunch and more about what the image itself was "serving" to society. Curator: Precisely. Thinking about it that way makes the artwork much richer. Editor: It totally does. Thanks for the insight, this gives me a lot to think about regarding the context of this piece.