Édouard Manet
Today is my birthday, and like every year for the past 12 years, I am publishing one of my favorite works of art here. This time, it will be The Balcony by Édouard Manet. :)
It is not a very flashy painting, but it always gives me a great sense of calm when I see it. Especially when I look at the sitting Berthe Morisot, who married Manet's brother Eugène in 1874 and with whom Édouard may have shared an unfulfilled love. She is so beautiful in this painting, and it is the first time (but not the last) that Manet painted her.
When Manet painted The Balcony, scenes of bourgeois life were very much in vogue. This work, however, defied the conventions of the time. The painting does not tell a story or present an anecdote; instead, the figures appear frozen, as if lost in their own thoughts, suggesting Manet’s move away from academic traditions. This mysterious group portrait was widely misunderstood when it was exhibited at the 1869 Salon. The caricaturist Cham mockingly exclaimed, "Close the shutters!" Another critic derided the painting as "gross art" and accused Manet of lowering himself to compete with mere house painters. The bright colors—the green of the balustrade and shutters, the blue of the man’s tie, and the stark contrast between the white dresses and the dark background—were seen as provocative. The usual hierarchy of human figures and objects was also disregarded, with the flowers rendered in more detail than some of the faces.
Time changes, and probably now, no one would think that there is anything weird about this scene. This could happen because Manet was one of the first artists of the now called modern time.
Like every year, today we have some special promos for you to celebrate my birthday. :) As my thank-you gift, we are giving you 25% off all products in our DailyArt Shop and 25% off all our online courses!
Enjoy! :)
Zuzanna
P.S. Édouard Manet is one of the most famous painters in art history. But how much do you know about him? Here are 10 things you may not know about Édouard Manet!