"Still lives by Manet"
2000-10-11 until 2001-01-07
Musee d'Orsay
Paris, , FR France

Manet's still lives, between tradition and modernity, evoke an elegant and sensual world. Unlike Courbet, who set his themes in a prosaic reality, or Cézanne, whose vision was voluntarily distant, Manet found inspiration in the most ordinary subjects, to which he gave a carnal presence.

In spite of their simplicity, his compositions were subtly elaborate, whether they be a lemon, an asparagus, violets, peonies... Some of these small intimate paintings were intended for a friend or a loved woman. The final bouquets, garden flowers freshly cut and set in a crystal vase, testify to his immense thirst for life. More than half the paintings and watercolours realised by the artist on this theme are gathered here for the first time.

IMAGE:
Edouard Manet (1832-1883)
Carnations and clematis in
a crystal vase
Circa 1882
Oil on canvas
H. 0.560 ; B. 0.355 m
Musée d'Orsay, Paris
© Photo RMN - Hervé Lewandowski

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