This image shocked the French public because it showed two fully clothed men and a nude woman. On top of that, these people were recognizable to the public as the two men were Manet's brother, Gustave, and Ferdinand Leenhoff, who later married Manet's sister. The nude woman was Manet's favorite model, Victorine Meurend. Her assertive gaze directed to the viewer was seen as accentuating the challenge to propriety that the picture posed. Even though this piece seemed to disregard traditional taste and to flaunt the nude woman in an outrageous manner, the picture actually contains echoes of styles that were very much admired in 19th century France.
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