Self-portrait with skull-cap 1878

Edouard Manet made this self-portrait with oil paints on canvas. His distinctive brushwork is evident throughout, a technique integral to the Impressionist movement. Look closely, and you'll see how Manet used rapid, broken strokes to capture the nuances of light and shadow, bringing a sense of immediacy to the painting. The somewhat sketch-like quality gives the impression that it was completed quickly, ‘alla prima’, a technique also employed in the craft traditions of decorative painting. But that doesn't mean it was easy. The application of paint is deceptively simple, but underpinned by careful planning. Manet was engaging in a radical departure from the traditional, highly finished academic style of painting. In doing so, he elevated the act of painting itself, emphasizing the importance of materiality and process, thereby questioning traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.