Jules-Alexandre Grun"
"The End of Dinner" aka "The Dinner Party", 1913
The image beautifully captures a glamorous, candid scene from the late Belle Époque era, showcasing affluent Parisian high society socializing over coffee, digestifs, and conversation at a lavishly set dinner table.
This Artwork is:
New
Custom Framed in a carved gold and brown wood frame with a linen liner
Image Size 26" x 18"
Framed Size 32 "x 24"
Comes Complete with Ready to hang hardware
Interested in different Framing? Contact us!
Historical Context: The End of Dinner (1913)
Painted in 1913, The End of Dinner (Fin de dîner) stands as an evocative, bittersweet time capsule of a world on the absolute brink of destruction.
The Twilight of the Belle Époque: The "Beautiful Era" (roughly 1871–1914) was a period characterized by peace, economic prosperity, technological innovation, and artistic flourishing in France. This painting captures the absolute peak of that wealthy, untroubled golden age.
The Eve of World War I: The painting was completed just one year before the outbreak of the First World War in the summer of 1914. The opulent, carefree lifestyle of the Parisian elites depicted in this room would be permanently altered or destroyed by the war, giving the scene a retroactively nostalgic and poignant tone.
Le Tout-Paris: The artwork highlights the social dynamics of "Le Tout-Paris" (the fashionable elite of the city). Instead of a rigid, formal portrait, Grün opted for a highly cinematic, candid snapshot—capturing shifting glances, intimate whispers, the warmth of glowing table lamps, and the relaxed indulgence of coffee and digestifs after a heavy meal.
Artist Biography: Jules-Alexandre Grün (1868–1938)
Jules-Alexandre Grün was a French post-impressionist painter, illustrator, and poster artist who became one of the preeminent visual chroniclers of Parisian nightlife and high society during the Belle Époque.
Early Life: Born in Paris, he studied under the prominent French painter Jean-Baptiste Lavastre and landscape artist Antoine Guillemet.
The Poster Boom: Before gaining fame as a fine artist, Grün achieved widespread commercial success in the 1890s designing vibrant, satirical advertisement posters for Parisian cabarets, theaters, and music halls.
The Society Painter: Over time, he shifted his focus to large-scale oil paintings. He specialized in grand, lively interior scenes featuring large crowds of recognizable Parisian socialites, artists, politicians, and performers.
Legacy: He was a member of the Société des Artistes Français and was awarded the prestigious Legion of Honour (Légion d'honneur) in 1911 for his significant contributions to French culture.