frontline 10
Manet: Father of Impressionism
Kenny McEwan finds that getting widespread recognition for his art was no picnic for Edouard Manet
Manet was the antithesis of the struggling, poor, Parisian artist: living in a garret producing masterpieces only to have them rejected by a society that did not understand them! He in fact came from a wealthy middle-class background, and despite his father's original objections to his chosen line of work lived most of his life in relative comfort. In real terms, however, Manet was a true revolutionary artist, producing paintings that not only altered the world of art forevermore, but influenced the greatest art movement since the Renaissance. Right from the start of his career as a painter, Manet rejected the Academy style of teaching calling it unnatural and false, often getting embroiled in verbal fights with the models or even his 'master' over his attempt to portray things in a more natural setting. Frustrated with the studio system Manet toured the great artistic capitals of Europe studying the old masters and in particular revered the Spanish painter 'Velazques'. This study of the old masters was to have a huge impact on both his work and his desire to be recognised as an artist by society.
Due to his passion for Velazques much of early works portrayed a Spanish style or Spanish subject matter. Paintings such as 'Lola De Valence', 1862 and 'The Dead Toreador', 1863 are examples of this.
Also as he was a fine etcher and lithographer he understood the use of bold contrasting colours in particular the use of black to contrast. Black later became a colour banned by Impressionists, as they considered that it was not natural.
Manet's naturalist style, however, was to put him at odds with respectable society and those who ran and controlled the establishment art world. 'The Absinthe Drinker', 1859, one of Manet's early works was rejected by the Salon* because of it's uncompromising naturalism, i.e. he dared paint an ordinary man in a serious manner. For Manet, however, a drunkard is as much part of Parisian life as a Duchess, more so in fact. He had fully embraced the Parisian life of the time and was involved with the group of individuals that had created the realist school a decade or so earlier, Courbet, and Baudelaire, (see Frontline Issue no5 for a fuller discussion on Courbet and Realism). Whilst Courbet was an open revolutionary, Manet did not deliberately produce provocative paintings, in his eyes he was emulating the early greats. Deliberate or other wise his 1862 and 1865 entries to the Salon created an absolute outrage, with the public and art critics alike queuing up to hurl abuse at both the paintings and the painter.
'Luncheon on the Grass', 1863, is by any reckoning one of the greatest panting ever produced, in reality it is a reworking of a work by Gorgione or Titian, which portrays individuals in a classical triangular composition. Even now, however, it has the power to astonish, two fully clothed seated males, one nude female sitting between them and another partially undressed bathing, in a pond, the remnants of a picnic lying in front of them. What is it all about? To this day this is the topic of much debate. In 1962, it was not only this question that caused outrage, but also, the way in which it was painted. Normal conventions like a vanishing point** have been discarded producing a flat composition, also the models are shown in contemporary dress, and the nude is portrayed in a realistic non idealistic, manner, both these things were an anathema to the artistic sensibilities of the time. If this painting caused outrage the next 'Olympia', 1865 causes an absolute uproar in the Paris art and social circles, even although it is a reworking of a Titian painting, 'Venus of Urbino' 1538. Nudes when painted had to portray some kind of ideal, beauty, grace, etc, and had to be done in a historical or religious way that must never portray women as the really are.
Not only was this woman real (Victorine Meurent was also the model used in Luncheon) she was provocatively sexual, and unabashed about it. It may have been this that upset the sensibilities of the Parisian male, or it may have been the fact that many of them visited such women behind the backs of their wives or girlfriends! Again the composition as much as the subject mattes, upset people, the flat style monochrome colour, and contrasting foreground and background produce a realism that many found unacceptable.
Trotsky in his 'On Literature and Art' explains in dialectical terms how the studying of what has gone before is necessary in creating a new revolutionary art. By his study and understanding of the old masters Manet could reinterpret them in a new and revolutionary way. Later Picasso was later to make dozens of copies of 'Luncheon in the Grass' each a new interpretation of Manet's original.
Such was the derision of Manet's paintings, Zola a friend of his defended him in the article, 'A New Way of Painting: Edouard Manet'. By now, however, Manet had become the central focus for a group of artists: Monet, Cezanne, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir and Sisley, who were to become the most famous group in art history known collectively as the Impressionists. Not only did Manet participate in the many discussions the group had about the nature of art, offering advice and encouragement; he also helped out many of them financially. Among this group was also a young woman that Manet had included in his 'The Balcony', 1868, a sublime painting that still managed to confuse the art critics of the time. Berthe Morisot, later became his sister-in-law and an important Impressionist painter in her own right, now unfortunately she is little know and over- shadowed by others as Manet himself is. It was Morisot, nevertheless who persuaded Manet to adopt the Impressionist technique of painting outside 'en plein air'.
When it came to exhibiting, however, the other Impressionists were happy to have their paintings shown as part of their independent Impressionists exhibits. As Manet considered his paintings to be equal to any of the official Salon choices, he insisted that they should be shown in the official Salon and, therefore, did not exhibit with the others. Despite this he continued to create art that outraged the establishment. His painting of 'The Execution of Maximilian' ,1868/9, is evidence of this. Whilst depicting the execution of the Emperor Maximilian by Mexican republicans, it is in fact an attack on the Mexican adventure by Napoleon III who set up Maximilian in the first place. Indeed the authorities recognised this as a political painting and refused to show it, an untitled lithograph of the same scene was also banned from sale.
The adventures of Napoleon III continued, unabated, however, leading up to the ill-fated Franco-Prussian war which France lost leading to the siege of Paris and the formation of the Paris Commune. Manet served in the National Guard during this period and along with fifteen other painters became part of the federation of artists in the Commune. Whilst it is not clear how much time Manet spent as part of the Commune, he was the only painter of the Impressionist group to record the destruction of the Commune, and was outraged by the ruthless way in which the Communards were massacred.
Whilst Manet was seen as the father figure among the Impressionists, his style also changed with their influence, his compositions were lighter more delicate and impressionistic. His 'Young Woman with Blue Eyes' ,1879 is an example of this.
Despite this his capacity to shock was never far away.
In his 'Nana' ,1877 he once again upset the sensibilities of Parisian society by returning to the theme covered by 'Olympia'. Clearly a courtesan, Nana is provocative as she is not shying away or coy about the fact, but openly looks toward the viewer with no hint of embarrassment. Further just at the edge of the painting, can be seen her caller, clearly a respectable, older man.
Unsurprisingly it was rejected as an affront to morality. It was not immoral to visit such women only to paint people visiting them.
By this time Manet was suffering from locomotion ataxia a disease associated with syphilis and would only live another few years, time enough though to produce one last masterpiece. 'A Bar at the Follies-Bergere', 1882, is an astonishing composition, the central figure a young barmaid in the Follies-Bergere, facing the viewer, as though they were the next customer, who can be seen in the corner. The look on the face of the young woman, is every bit as enigmatic as that of the 'Mona Lisa', is she sad, bored, contemplating the scene in front of her and reflected in the mirror behind her, or just pausing for a moments rest before resuming her work? What ever the case, the stillness of the barmaid is contrasted with the frenzy of enjoyment in the background while all round her are the various bottles of liquor from which she will serve the customers. Only months later Manet died following a leg amputation, his friend Antonin Proust had secured the Legion of Honour for him, however, in a last rebuff to him the president of the republic refused to sign it until after his death.
Edouard Manet today is much less famous than those who followed him, however, it is evident that his early paintings particularly 'Luncheon in the Grass' and 'Olympia' paved the way for others to follow. He was a revolutionary artist in every sense of the word, even if he himself thought he was following in the footsteps of the old masters.
Notes
* The Salon was the official exhibition held in Paris to show new paintings. It was very conservative and only exhibited paintings depicting Academy art. Le Salon des Refuses was set up to show paintings that did not get into the official Salon.
** The vanishing point in painting was a technique used to show perspective in art, i.e., larger objects at the fore with objects getting smaller the further back you go. This was a key discovery in painting, around 1500. Most of Manet's Key paintings are in the Musee d'Orsay; however, some are in the National Gallery in London. The 'A Bar at Follies-Bergere' is in the Courtaulds Institute London
Websites:- www.mystudios.com/manet/manet.html good bio and pictures. www.artchive.com/artchive/M/manet.html as above. www.cafeguerbois.com/manet.htm good pictures including those discussed.
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