The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda)
The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda)
The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda)
Luis Meléndez, ca. 1772
Some works turn an ordinary table into a celebration of culture, leisure, and abundance.
In The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda), Luis Meléndez gathers bread, fruit, wine, baskets, and traditional cookware into a richly layered outdoor still life illuminated by warm afternoon light. Painted around 1772 during a royal commission for the palace and hunting lodge of Aranjuez, the work reflects the refined elegance of eighteenth-century Spanish court painting while honoring the textures and materials of everyday life.
Unlike many still lifes of the period, Meléndez opens the composition outward into landscape and atmosphere, evoking aristocratic excursions beyond Madrid and transforming a simple meal into something expansive, luxurious, and quietly theatrical.
Currently on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this archival-quality reproduction brings one of Meléndez's most celebrated still lifes back into lived space.
About This Print
- Museum-quality giclée reproduction
- Printed on archival fine art paper
- Produced to preserve painterly texture, tonal warmth, and atmospheric depth
- Available in four curated sizes
Available Sizes
Study — $22
A smaller format suited for shelves, kitchens, reading corners, and intimate spaces.
Gallery — $54
Balanced scale allowing the warmth, texture, and abundance of the composition to emerge naturally.
Collection — $75
Expanded size revealing the layered details of the fruit, baskets, cookware, and surrounding landscape.
Artist Sized — $102
Scaled for immersive viewing and maximum visual richness.
Each print is produced to order and carefully packaged for preservation and safe arrival.