Edouard Manet 1876

0:00

print, drypoint

portrait

print

impressionism

drypoint

Dimensions 6 3/16 × 4 7/8 in. (15.72 × 12.38 cm) (plate)14 1/2 × 10 9/16 in. (36.83 × 26.83 cm) (sheet)

Editor: This is "Marcellin Desboutin," a drypoint print made by Edouard Manet in 1876. It’s at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It’s striking how the figure emerges from so much empty space; what do you see when you look at it? Curator: Observe the interplay of line and tone achieved through the drypoint technique. The incisive lines delineate the figure's features with remarkable precision, yet, at the same time, Manet captures the atmospheric effects through varied tonalities, establishing a dynamic visual structure. Do you see how the figure is constructed, not with mass or volume, but with an accumulation of independent marks? Editor: Yes, it’s almost like he's built out of individual strokes. But why leave so much blank space? Curator: Consider the function of the negative space within the composition. It not only isolates the figure, focusing the viewer’s attention on the subtleties of its depiction, but also actively participates in the formal organization of the print, offering visual and intellectual respite. Editor: That's fascinating! It almost gives the subject an ethereal, floating quality, set off by the precise strokes. I hadn't thought about the emptiness being so important. Curator: Exactly. Through careful examination, we come to appreciate how Manet used line and form to build and focus our view of the subject's features and mood. Editor: I see it now! This piece has far more than meets the eye. Thanks for walking me through the composition; it definitely added new layers to my appreciation.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

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Marcel Desboutin was born to a powerful aristocratic French family and lived the life of the rich, partying artist and art lover in Italy, until speculative investments brought his ruin. At age 50, he was destitute and returned to Paris, where he learned to make prints to earn his living. He became a close friend of such avant-garde artists as Edgar Degas and Edouard Manet, hung out at cafés, drank, and slowly rebuilt his reputation. His drypoint sketches of friends offer a glimpse into the world of the Impressionists. Here he made a quick sketch of Manet in a single sitting. This tender drypoint reveals one fine artist observing an artistic giant, who happens to be a close friend shown as an intelligent, sensitive, sympathetic peer. The scale and style of the portrait look to Rembrandt, Desboutin’s artistic hero, for inspiration.