The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda)

Art Historical Context

Luis Meléndez, a leading Spanish still-life painter of the eighteenth century, created *The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda)* around 1772. Working during the reign of Charles III Meléndez specialized in meticulously observed scenes of everyday foods and kitchen objects, elevating the traditionally modest genre of bodegón to new levels of refinement. This large canvas, measuring over five feet wide, invites viewers to linger over the simple pleasures of a shared repast. Painted in oil on canvas, the work showcases Meléndez’s remarkable ability to capture varied textures—the crusty surface of a loa...