Manet Revision Quiz
3rd Sept 2012
Question 1
• Q. What was the name of
the accepted type of art in
France at the time that
Manet was starting out as a
painter?
Question 1
•A. Classical art
or Classicism
Question 2
•Q. Define
Classicalism.
Question 2
• A. Classicism can be defined as the type of art
promoted by, and displaying the values of the
French ‘Academie des Beaux Art’. This type of
art was concerned with idealised beauty. The
subject matter was of historical, biblical and
mythological scenes. These were painted with
great drama and portrayed the characters
(people) as objects of perfection (for the time)
both physically and morally.
Question 2
Delacroix – liberty leading the People 1830
Question 2
A. Composition in Classical paintings was
generally central with all the characters and
activity happening in the middle of the
painting.
The brushwork was mostly smooth and
highly polished.
These paintings used a lot of contrast in their
colour and lighting, contrasting blacks
browns and greys with whites and creams.
Question 2
Oedipus & the
Sphinx by
Ingres
Death of a Marat by David
Manet
• Manet is often considered
a Realist….
• However he is more
famously known as ‘the
Father of Impressionism’.
Early career
• Manet trained as a painter through the official
system of the E︠coles des Beaux Arts.
• He learned his craft in the studio of Thomas
Couture and spent 6 years there as an
apprentice painter.
Déjeuner sur l’Herbe
1863
• This painting was rejected
by the Salon in 1863, but it
was exhibited in the ‘Salon
des Refuses’ where it
caused controversy as a
result of it’s subject matter.
The Salon des Refusés
• The ‘Salon des Refusés’ was an exhibition set up
by Emperor Napoleon III to run alongside the
annual official Salon exhibition. It only ran in
1863. this was due to the large amount of artists
whose paintings were refused to the Salon that
year. The artists complained to the Emperor
(France’s ruler) and he went to see the paintings.
As he couldn’t tell the difference between the
paintings selected for the Salon exhibition and
those rejected, he declared that all rejected
painting be exhibited a second parallel exhibition
in the Lourve – the ‘Salon des Refusés’.
Déjeuner sur l’Herbe
• The Salon jury was outraged by this painting as it didn’t
follow the rules of Classical art.
• Although nudes were common in paintings at the time,
Manet decided to paint a contemporary scene instead
of a historical/biblical/mythological scene.
• His subject matter was of artists and their models
taking a lunch break from painting ‘en plein air’ in the
forest of Fountainbleu on the outskirts of Paris.
• This was unacceptable to the Salon as his female model
was shown exactly as she was; not improved on or
made to look like what was considered perfect in art at
the time.
• Manet’s brushwork did not conform to the
Academy’s standards either. Rather than
smooth and polished, we can see evidence of
Manet’s brush marks and some areas were
not fully blended.
• Manet also plays with the perspective. The
woman in the background appears to be
floating, so he isn’t following the rules of
linear perspective. He does this on purpose as
he wants her to be as important as the other
parts of the painting but the Academy don’t
understand this.
Symbolism in ‘Déjeuner’
• This contemporary subject matter was full of symbols
that the Academy and the public would have easily
understood, which made the painting so controversial
at the time.
• The overturned basket was a symbol of the loss of
innocence; fruit such as peaches, figs and cherries
were symbols of carnal activity and the empty oyster
shells and suggest that these women may have had
two jobs – one as a model, but a second job as a
prostitute or the lovers of the artists. The small frog in
the corner of the painting confirms this. The French
word fro frog ‘grenouille’ was also a slang word for
prostitute.
Artist’s Models at that time
It was common at this time for artist’s models
to be prostitutes also, as it was unacceptable for
women of high classes to be alone with men. So
often the only women available to paint would
have been those who worked in bars or as
prostitutes. Not all bar workers or models
worked as prostitutes however.
Although many upper class men would have had
a mistress at this time. It was seen as
acceptable but never spoken about. What
made Manet’s painting so shocking to the
Paris socialites was that he was making public,
something that had always been private. As
many women would have accompanied their
husbands to the exhibition, this painting
would have caused great embarrassment to
many of these men and brought the subject of
adultery out in the open.
Manet’s favourite model
• Manet used the same model for both of the
women in ‘Déjeuner’. Her name is Victorine
Meurent. She was one of his favourite
models. Manet like to paint her because she
had a real face, not one that seemed fake or
idealised like the ones in so many Classical
paintings at that time. He said that in her face
he found ‘truth’.
• Meurent was also an artist in her own right.
Question 10
•Which other painting
do we see Manet
being influenced by in
‘Déjeuner’?
Question 10
• The composition and narrative of ‘Déjeuner’ is
influenced by Titian’s ‘Concert Champêtre’.
• Manet was very influenced by earlier art work
and Classical art also. He wanted to show how
these tradition ways of working could be
updated for the modern world.
Question 10
Question 10
• Manet wanted to change the institution of the
academy, not get rid of it. He wanted to
change it from the inside out, that’s why he
never stopped submitting paintings to the
salon for selecting.
• It really annoyed him that he was rejected so
many times.
Olympia
Titian – ‘Venus of Urbino’
clip
• Tim Marlow DVD
• 6.47 Dejeuner
• 8.20 Olympia
Manet becomes more Impressionistic
• Manet’s work inspires a group of younger
artists later to be know as the Impressionists.
• Monet and Manet are influenced by each
other’s work. In a series of paintings created
in Argenteuil with Monet and his family, we
see Manet produce very Impressionistic
paintings.
Manet ‘Monet working on his
boat’ 1874
Monet ‘Regatta at Argenteuil’
Manet ‘The Monet Family in
their Garden in Argenteuil’ 1874
Monet ‘The Bridge at Argenteuil’
1874
Clip – The impressionists
Monet, Manet 29.77
The Bar at the Folies-Bergere 1882