The Man in the Tall Hat 1858 - 1859

Editor: So this watercolor drawing, “The Man in the Tall Hat” by Édouard Manet, dates from around 1858-1859. It's strikingly simple, almost stark in its muted tones, with the figure draped in what appears to be a blanket. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: The hat, of course. Its height exaggerates the figure, lending him an air of almost comical authority. It contrasts with the softness of the watercolor and the man's obscured face. The hat becomes a symbol of aspiration, of bourgeois identity, though rendered here with a fragile impermanence through the watercolor medium. Editor: I see what you mean. There's this tension between the solidity of the hat as a status symbol and the fluid wash of the paint. Does the haziness speak to a critique of that class structure? Curator: Perhaps not critique, but certainly a questioning. Manet’s impressionistic touches make the figure somewhat anonymous; the individual is subsumed by the uniform of the upper class, and his face obscured under the shadow of conformity, both literally and figuratively. How does this resonate with you? Editor: I guess it makes me think about how we still use clothing and accessories to project an image. Curator: Precisely. Manet captures a moment of transition, where old symbols are being re-evaluated in the face of modern society. We see it as a cultural mirror, reflecting the way we use symbols, dress, and identities to declare to others what we imagine we represent. Editor: That’s a very contemporary observation, even though this dates back to the late 1850s. I will certainly view this very differently going forward.