The Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA) is hosting the "Manet in Black" exhibition in Gallery 153 until Oct. 28. This exhibit boasts an incredible collection of the Impressionist's rarely exhibited prints and drawings. An impressive number of pieces line the walls of the long Gallery 153 hallway, celebrating ?douardManet's achievements as a printmaker and draftsman rather than displaying his better?known paintings. The exhibit is an absolute must?see, especially for anyone interested in gaining a broader understanding of Manet's talents and achievements.
Manet lived in 19th?century France and is still revered today as one of the early founders of Impressionism and modern art. He collaborated with poets in his pieces and confronted the political issues of his time. Innovative and passionate, he was always eager to experiment with the latest artistic and cultural trends. He was known throughout Paris as a fashionable urbanite who regularly sported a chic black coat.
Manet was initially drawn to people on the margins of society as artistic subjects. This fascination is demonstrated by his etching and first published print, "The Gypsies" (1862). The piece shows incredible use of hatchings and cross?hatchings in the flowing costumes of the Gypsies and their angular faces. A Romani man looks straight at the viewer from the foreground, while a woman, baby and child sit behind him, lost in the dark background. "The Gypsies" has a gorgeously raw, unfinished quality, like the majority of the pieces of "Manet in Black."
Spanish art and culture were hugely popular in Paris during the 1860s, and this is highly evident in the artworks for which Manet is most known - his paintings of Spanish ballerinas. However, interest in Spanish culture pervades his other prints and drawings as well. Manet attributes heavy artistic influence to the Spanish Old Master painters, such as Diego Vel??squez and Francisco Goya.
"Don Mariano Camprubi (The Ballet Dancer)" is another one of Manet's etchings, finished sometime around 1862 or 1863 during the beginnings of Paris' obsession with Spain. The Parisians adored performances by the Royal Ballet of Madrid at the Hippodrome Theater, and Don Mariano Camprubi was a star of the company. The etching depicts him standing confidently, holding his coat with his elaborate costume detailed through expert crosshatching. Manet beautifully captures Camprubi's stern and disciplined face against a simple background of horizontal lines.
In addition to etchings, the exhibition also boasts a cluster of crayon lithograph prints. "Civil War, 1871" (1871?1873) is one such lithograph that reveals the major political issues in France of the time. Following France's defeat in the Franco?Prussian War, a National Assembly that sought to repress the French National Guard, or citizen's militia, governed France. This erupted into a bloody week of chaos in May 1871, with horrific violence in the streets. Like his etchings, Manet's "Civil War, 1871" has a compelling unfinished sketchy quality with a smudged gray stone background, and provocatively illustrates the widespread death witnessed in 1871. The deceased are not portrayed as unrealistically heroic, but are limp, dark blobs sprawled on the street. Severed limbs lie about the scene, making this evocative piece a true depiction of the ugliness of violence.
"Manet in Black" also has a series of illustrations Manet printed for the French translation of "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe. In the 1870s, Manet collaborated with St?©phaneMallarm?© on a French edition of the classic narrative poem, which is still the standard translation in France. The prints have striking contrast in darks and lights, and have a similar rough or unfinished quality to the other pieces on display. "Head of a Raven in Profile" (1875) is a brush?and?ink transfer lithograph and the first of five illustrations from "The Raven" at the MFA. The print demonstrates expert use of subtle tones to create texture in the bird's black feathers and aquiline beak. All of the prints from "The Raven" are delightfully haunting and eerie.
"The Manet in Black" exhibition is a wonderful way to spend a rainy Saturday. You don't have to be a Manet aficionado to enjoy his rare works. The varied subject matter of the drawings and prints displayed and their unprocessed expression are enjoyable for anyone to see.
Manet was initially drawn to people on the margins of society as artistic subjects. This fascination is demonstrated by his etching and first published print, "The Gypsies" (1862). The piece shows incredible use of hatchings and cross?hatchings in the flowing costumes of the Gypsies and their angular faces. A Romani man looks straight at the viewer from the foreground, while a woman, baby and child sit behind him and get lost in the dark background. "The Gypsies" has a gorgeously raw, unfinished quality, like the majority of the pieces of "Manet in Black."
Spanish art and culture was hugely popular in Paris during the 1860s, and this is highly evident in the artworks Manet is most known for ?? his paintings of Spanish ballerinas. However, interest in Spanish culture pervades his other prints and drawings as well. Manet attributes heavy artistic influence to the Spanish Old Master painters, such as Diego Velasquez and Francisco Goya.
"Don Mariano Camprubi (The Ballet Dancer)" is another one of Manet's etchings, finished sometime around 1862 or 1863 during the beginnings of Paris' obsession with Spain. The Parisians adored performances by the Royal Ballet of Madrid at the Hippodrome Theater, and Don Mariano Camprubi was a star of the company. The etching depicts him standing confidently, holding his coat with his elaborate costume detailed through expert crosshatching. Manet beautifully captures Camprubi's stern and disciplined face against a simple background of horizontal lines.
In addition to etchings, the exhibition also boasts a cluster of crayon lithograph prints. "Civil War, 1871" (1871?1873) is one such lithograph that reveals the major political issues in France of the time. Following France's defeat in the Franco?Prussian War, a National Assembly that sought to repress the French National Guard, or citizen's militia, governed France. This erupted into a bloody week of chaos in May 1871, with horrific violence in the streets. Like his etchings, Manet's "Civil War, 1871" has a compelling unfinished, sketchy quality with a smudged gray stone background, and provocatively illustrates the widespread death witnessed in 1871. The dead figures are not portrayed as unrealistically heroic, but are limp, dark blobs sprawled on the street. Severed limbs lay about the scene, making this evocative piece a true depiction of the ugliness of violence. "Manet in Black" also has a series of illustrations Manet printed for the French translation of "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe. In the 1870s, he collaborated with StephaneMallarme on a French edition of the classic narrative poem, which is still the standard translation in France. The prints have striking contrast in darks and lights, and have a similar rough or unfinished quality to the other pieces on display. "Head of a Raven in Profile" (1875) is a brush?and?ink transfer lithograph and the first of around five illustrations from "The Raven" at the MFA. The print demonstrates expert use of subtle tones to create texture in the bird's black feathers and aquiline beak. All of the prints from "The Raven" are delightfully haunting and eerie. "The Manet in Black" exhibition is a wonderful way to spend a rainy Saturday. You don't have to be a Manet aficionado to enjoy his rare works. The varied subject matter of the drawings and prints displayed and their unprocessed expression are enjoyable for anyone to see.
