Dinner on the Grass 1984

Eric Massholder’s large painting, Dinner on the Grass, conjures an evening gathering in a forest of rich earth tones. I can imagine Massholder layering shades of red and green to create a surface with a luminous depth. The figures are intriguing, posed around a small fire, their faces obscured by mask-like features. The paint seems applied with confidence, building the forms with decisive strokes. I wonder what Massholder was thinking about when he made this painting. Was he inspired by Manet’s Déjeuner sur l’herbe, a painting showing nudes in a park? The poses of the figures are classical, but they also have something of the surreal about them. I like the use of a limited palette and the dreamlike atmosphere that results. Massholder seems to be in conversation with art history, reimagining familiar themes through his unique lens. This painting is a testament to the enduring power of painting as a means of exploring our relationship to the world around us.