“Manet: Portraying Life” exhibition which closed recently at the Royal Academy in London was a great delight and rare opportunity to see some of Manet’s finest paintings. Yes it is true that the exhibition lacked some significant loans but what we really enjoyed was the chance to observe how Old Master paintings have influenced this artist’s work, who is credited to have bridged the art movements from Realism to Impressionism. Several paintings on view at the exhibition make direct references to Old master painters, and here we look at Manet vs. Old Masters.
Edouard Manet, “Fishing” circa 1862-63
At the start of the exhibition, there is “Fishing” painted circa 1862-63 when Manet was in his early 30s, which presents a good example of how Manet would bring together the Old Master and contemporary references in a range of genres; such as family portraiture, costume piece and scene of contemporary life. Set within a landscape we see Manet and Suzanne Leenhoff (later Manet’s wife) in the guise of Flemish Baroque painter Rubens and his second wife, Helene Fourment. Manet takes this model after Rubens’ portrait of himself and his wife in “Park of the Château of Steen” which is at the Kunsthisorisches Museum, Vienna. In addition to Rubens, Manet borrows elements from 18th century French artist Watteau who is famous with his fete galante scenes.
(Clockwise from Left) Marcantonio Raimondi, “The Judgement of Paris” c.1510-20 / Attributed to Titan or Giorgione “Pastoral Concert”, c.1510 / Jean Antoine Watteau “Fête champêtre” c.1718-21 / Edouard Manet “Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe” 1863
Another example of a direct reference to Watteau’s paintings is found in the last galleries of the exhibition, “Dejeuner sur l’Herbe” c.1863-68, amongst Manet’s most famous compositions. What they had on view at the exhibition is the smaller version belonging to the Courtauld, as the large one is hanging at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris as a star attraction. Here Manet blends in various Old Master influences; the figures, naked and clad, seated in a landscape look back to Giorgione’s “La Tempesta” while the subject makes reference to Watteau’s fete champetre scenes. It is also thought that Manet was at least partly inspired by “The Judgment of Paris” by Marcantonio Raimondi, which would have been a masterpiece of Manet’s time. Notice the familiar composition in the bottom right corner in the engraving; a water nymph and two river gods are sat on the ground watching the judgment of Paris in poses that are exactly reminiscent of the poses adopted by Manet.
(Left to Right) Annibale Carracci’s “Boy Drinking” 1582-83 / Jean Siméon Chardin “Soap Bubbles” 1733-34 / Edouard Manet “Boy Blowing Bubbles” 1867
Manet’s “Boy Blowing Bubbles” 1867 is another homage to Old Masters, and particularly to Jean Siméon Chardin and his “Soap Bubbles” 1733-34, but also to Annibale Carracci’s “Boy Drinking” 1582-83. It is interesting to note that what Manet seem to be most interested in Old Masters is not the religious or mythological scenes or still lives, but the human element.
(Left to Right) Pieter Claesz, “Still Life” 1633 / Johannes Vermeer, “Woman with a Water Jug” circa 1664-65 / Edouard Manet, “The Luncheon”, 1868
Following on the same human element, one of our favorite paintings in the exhibition was “Luncheon” 1868, a painting depicting Leon Leenhoff (son of Manet’s wife Suzanne) in the foreground. Such a captivating work, isn’t it?! Despite the painting’s modern look, it retains specific references to Old Masters such as the Dutch 17th century master Vermeer, famous for his domestic scenes. Note the framed map above the bearded man’s head; this is an allusion to the maps found in Vermeer’s paintings. Here we are inside an artist’s studio, the shucked but uneaten oysters, the dangling knife and partially peeled lemon are objects frequently seen in Dutch still life paintings. As for the technicality and tonality of the work, with its rich blacks and subtle tones of whites and greys, Manet’s looks at one of his favorite artists of all time; the Spanish 17th century painter Velazquez.
Velazquez has been regarded as a prince among painters almost without interruption since his death. Artists responding to his legacy included Spaniards Goya, Sorolla, and Picasso as well as Manet, Whistler, and Sargent through Salvador Dali, Francis Bacon, and Thomas Struth.
(Left to Right) Diego Velazquez, “Pablo de Valladolid”, 1636–1637 / Edouard Manet, “The Tragic Actor (Rouviere as Hamlet)” 1865
‘The Tragic Actor (Rouviere as Hamlet)” 1865 on view at the exhibition takes direct source from Velazquez’s portrait of the jester Pablo de Valladolid. In fact, Manet had copied Velazquez’s canvas on his visit to Madrid in 1865, and noted that it was not only “the most extraordinary example of painting in Velazquez’s splendid oeuvre” but also “the most extraordinary example of painting that has ever been made”.
(Left to Right) Titian “Venus of Urbino” 1538 / Edouard Manet “Portrait of Zacharie Astruc”, 1866 and “Olympia” 1863
Moving onto Manet influence from the Renaissance master Titian, in “Portrait of Zacharite Astruc” 1866, Manet borrows the composition from Titian’s famous “Venus of Urbino” where the main figure is placed off-center and a maid is seen working in the background — as the sitters are placed in their contemporary environments, both paintings hover between straight portraiture and genre painting. Although not included in the RA exhibition, we can’t finish talking about “Venus of Urbino” without mentioning Manet’s iconic re-interpretation of it with his masterpiece “Olympia” 1863, which hangs at Musee d’Orsay in Paris. When it was first exhibited at the Salon in 1865, what shocked the audiences was not Olympia’s nudity, nor even the presence of her maid, but her confrontational gaze and that she is a prostitute (clues of which are given with the orchid in her hair, her oriental shawl, and cast-off slipper etc.) Through these comparisons, we only scratched the surface of the vast subject of Manet and Old masters influences, hope you will look at Manet in a different light from now on.
