这幅创作于1874年的《午餐》（The Lunch: decorative panel）是莫奈搬到距离巴黎东北约10公里的阿让特伊（Argenteuil）后创作的。画面中莫奈家的花园种满各式各样、五彩缤纷的花朵，虽然我们无法从中分辨出花种，却可以明显感受到在阳光下植物的生机勃勃。在这里，不仅仅只有植物需要阳光，画家莫奈也在追逐着阳光。和《圣阿得列斯花园阳台》相比，我们可以从这幅《午餐》中感觉到更多甜蜜、幸福，画面整体使用更多的暖色系色调，阳光并不是强烈地照射在人身上，而是暖暖地、温柔地铺洒开来。

      画面前方的让（Jean），坐在地上的，似乎是在堆积木。画中景象是用完餐的时刻，用餐人已经离去，桌子上的水果、掰开的面包、杯中残留下来的咖啡昭示着一顿愉快的家庭聚餐刚刚结束。精致的咖啡壶、餐桌和白色的桌布告诉我们莫奈的生活条件是很好的，一幅城里的富人来乡下度假的景象。画面上方奇怪地出现了一顶挂在树上的草帽，如果我们看到椅子上的提包和伞就会发现少了一个人，画面远方两位女子都带着帽子，同时桌子上的杯子是四个（2个玻璃杯、2个瓷茶杯）。看来有一位活泼好动的女子和莫奈一起缺席了这个画面中，她去哪了呢？也许被莫奈花园的某处景色给吸引了；也说不定她正站在莫奈的身后，观看莫奈的创作过程。

     After 1870, Monet gave up the large-scale paintings of his early days. However there were some exceptions: these are The Lunch exhibited in the second Impressionist exhibition of 1876 as a "decorative panel" and the paintings he produced in 1876-1877 for Ernest Hoschedé as decorations for the château de Rottenbourg in Montgeron. Possibly it was this Lunch, seen in Monet's studio or at the 1876 exhibition, which prompted Hoschedé to commission the panels for his own estate.
     The charm of the subject lies above all in the impression of spontaneity, in the simple evocation of a family life, some traces of which remain. The table has not been cleared at the end of a meal. A hat, hanging on the branch of a tree, a bag and a parasol left on the bench seem to have been forgotten there. In the cool shade of the green foliage, little Jean Monet quietly plays with a few pieces of wood.
     As in other paintings, Monet here seems to come close to Vuillard and Bonnard who would treat these same subjects a few years later. The "close up" of the top half of the wicker tea trolley, contrasting with the female figure in the background on the right, also recalls certain techniques favoured by the Nabis.

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