Édouard Manet
1832 – 1883
French
There was a time when Paris was the art capital of the world. For whatever else that meant, it meant also that if you were an artist you should go to Paris. Paintings like Édouard Manet ‘s were the reason I went into art, and went to Paris.
I expected to see old world cafés, people walking slowly over ornate bridges, and romantic couples kissing in the Luxembourg while a horse and cart rolled past. I was greeted with a very different impression. I was a young man standing on a sidewalk trying not to get bowled over by the bustling crowds, cars and capers moving briskly in all directions around the sprawling mix of new and old architecture.
When I think about Manet my thoughts unconsciously race back to that point in my life. As a result I will forever have fond feelings for Manet; I will have trouble seeing his work objectively. It will always be clouded with the thoughts and feelings of the Paris I know and the Paris he knew. That’s what art can do, I guess…
Manet was a Parisian socialite in his day. He knew and loved the city he dwelt in and he wanted to paint what he knew and loved. He created fresh, emotive paintings that showed what modern day scenes might look like to the average person.
Manet spent six years in Couture‘s Studio learning his methods. It was a source of consistent debate between Manet and his teacher as to the purposes and meanings of art. His sharpened abilities continued to acknowledge his teacher, but he gradually shifted away from what he learned there. While classical painters concentrated on scenes of Greek mythology, Manet was painting citizens of France. His contribution to the art world is more subtle than many of his paintings, but just as effective.
The Impressionists at the same time painted pictures of modern day landscapes. Manet was (and is) considered an Impressionist, but in many ways he defies the description. For starters, he rarely painted the landscape. People were Manet’s primary interest.
The Impressionists invented a lot of techniques that are still in use today. Broken color is one example of an Impressionist technique: The artist uses a series of “dabs or strokes“ of paint that visually blend the colors and thus create the effect. Manet, on the other hand simplified nature into planes of local color and patterns of value.
The Impressionist wanted to capture the effect of reflected light on objects. Manet seemed more concerned with simplifying light and shadow.
Vibrant color and bravura technique seem to be the unifying factor between Manet and the Impressionists.
No doubt he had a method, and could apply it to whatever he chose to paint.
Yet, the success of his paintings seemed to be less determined by technique, than by how inspired he was.