Manet and Modern Beauty

"Moss Roses in a Vase"
Oil on Canvas, 22 x 13 5/8
Edouard Manet, 1882

It's the last week of the exhibit, and I'm afraid I am going to miss it. The Art Institute of Chicago has mounted what by all accounts is a magnificent show that features Edouard Manet's late works. Manet was undoubtedly a catalyst in the art world, moving away from the old-school "salon" style of painting (think large, formal, multi-layered paintings of historical and biblical subjects) and entering a new, modern style of painting (think scenes of contemporary life, loosely painted, often alla prima in one session). Manet was a truly a pioneer in making modern urban life an acceptable subject for fine art.

"Jeanne"
Oil on Canvas, 29 1/8 x 20 1/4
Edouard Manet, 1881

The Chicago exhibit is entitled "Manet and Modern Beauty", and runs until September 8, 2019. It focuses on later works, from the years shortly before Manet's death in 1883. Among them are lovely portraits of finely dressed women--feminine beauty in all its glory. The painting just above, "Jeanne", was a hit at the Paris Salon of 1882. But then it passed into private hands and faded from view. It was eventually purchased by the Getty Museum for $65 Million. Today it is the star of the Chicago show.

"Flowers in a Crystal Vase"
Edouard Manet, 1882

The show also includes a number of small floral works. I love these! They tell me of an eye for beauty in the simple things, and a sensitivity to beautiful color relationships. Manet painted these works during a time of difficult health struggles and acute physical pain. As written in the IRIS publication of the Getty: " Fresh, intimate, and unapologetically pretty, the late work demonstrates his defiant embrace of beauty and pleasure in the teeth of acute physical suffering."

"The House at Rueil"
Oil on Canvas, 36 9/16 x 28 15/16
Edouard Manet, 1882

If you miss the exhibit in Chicago, there's another chance to see it in Los Angeles at the Getty -- opening October 8, 2019!