Repose by Édouard Manet - c. 1871 - 150.2 x 114 cm RISD Museum Repose by Édouard Manet - c. 1871 - 150.2 x 114 cm RISD Museum

Repose

Oil on canvas • 150.2 x 114 cm

  • Édouard Manet - 23 January 1832 - 30 April 1883 Édouard Manet

    c. 1871

Today is the last day of our special month with the RISD Museum's collection, and we finish it with a huge bang ... this amazing portrait of Berthe Morisot painted by Édouard Manet.

Manet was a leader in the development of a new pictorial language, and Repose demonstrates elements of his radical style, including dominant contrasts of light and dark tones; broad, tactile paint-handling; and a sense of shallow, compressed space. This representation of another famous artist, Berthe Morisot, shocked some viewers, who criticized her casual pose, her informal dress, and her availability as a model. Her gaze suggests reverie, in contrast to the raucous depiction of a pearl diver pursued by a dragon in the Japanese woodblock print above her head. Manet described his painting as a study in physical and psychological repose—“not at all in the character of a portrait.” 

If you would like to learn more about the amazing relationship between Morisot and Manet, check out our DailyArt collection.

P.S. Manet is known for his scandalous Olympia and Luncheon on the Grass, but he also created a number of iconic portraits. Here are the 10 best portraits by Édouard Manet! For more stories about the artist, see the articles below.

P.P.S. Save the date: tomorrow starts the Halloween Sale in our new Shop&Courses platform! Visit it today and update your wishlists.  :)