Manet and Modern Beauty: Art Institute of Chicago Exhibit

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Article: Vault   |   TheArtistsChateau.com

An exhibit that was curated with keenness to sophistication, the Manet and Modern Beauty is an experience worth having. Showcasing works that Manet completed during the later years of his life; as audience members, we get to comparatively view the vast contrast in his work.  

Of the many things that we learned about Manet – what holds lasting impressions for us was his carefree but committed alliance to his own idea of art.

A relatable story unfolded. A retelling of the events surrounding his dreams of becoming an artist. One that met opposition and disapproval. 

Reading

Edouard initially started his artistic endeavors in the realist painting style. Spending a significant amount of time learning and studying the works of Hals and Valézquez and Goya – and more time on the classical works that he would draw and study at the Louvre; Manet developed an eclectic interest for the styles in which these painters created their masterpieces. 

Boating

What sets this exhibit a part from some of the other exhibits that showcase the impressionists or even of Manet himself is that this exhibit focuses on the development, the social and the understanding of him. 

In the Conservatory

Lady with Fans

He did not live his life bound to any strict ideas of what an artist was, and he didn’t allow himself to be bound to any specific technique or label in order to live and work as an artist. Having created works that could easily be categorized as realist or impressionist, he consciously chose not to exhibit with the impressionist when they began to host their own shows. His ideas of the prestige of the salon exhibits were paramount in his thoughts of success. He stayed dedicated to submit works for entry although he consistently produced paintings that challenged the norm of works that usually were submitted and accepted. And even as he endured many rejections, he still viewed the world he lived in through his own lens. Able to enjoy the cosmopolitan way of life that Paris was providing, Edouard indulged in visually capturing everyday life through sketches, drawings and paintings. 


The Waitress Serving Bocks

Without prejudice, he would paint his friends, family, people he would see in the bar or in public as his subject matter regardless of class or social standing. To depict the images that he visualized onto his canvas, he incorporated an array of styles and techniques. If he felt like using short, quick strokes of pigment – or long, loose strides of pastels, then that is what he did. The beauty that derived is that we see the eloquence of the day. The soft, radiant, regalness of the day. The fashionable and femininity of the women that celebrates what life had to offer through his observation.


Jeanne “Spring”

What you can expect to enjoy on your visit are walls of his works that are situated in rooms that are designed to give you a glimpse into his elegance.  Commentary to give you the insight that takes you a step deeper into his world. The items within the exhibit are affixed in a manner that allows you excellent vantage points – to notice all the strokes, the paints, the blending, the color. You will enjoy the honor of being up close to majestic pieces that once had the hands and eyes of an amazing artist intimately working out his vision. It was a different world, a different space and a different time, but it was his Modern and it was elated with beauty.


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