Portrait of Abbe Hurel...
11:55 p.m.
15/10/15 - This small work by Edouard Manet (Paris, 1832-1883) has been on display for a while now at the MNBA as a “guest artwork”, because it belongs to the collection of the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas. It is currently exhibited together with other paintings by the same artist, so that we can truly appreciate the variations in Manet's technique.
Retrato del Abate Hurel, by Edouard Manet
Technique: oil on canvas / Measure: 45 cm x 30 cm.
Signed, dated and dedicated: "à mon ami l'abbé Hurel. Manet, 1875".
France - 19th Century
Abbe Hurel was a friend of Manet's and so the painting is signed and dedicated by the artist. This work, of 1875, follows "Luncheon on the grass", "Olympia" and "The fife player". The subject is in the center of the composition, dressed in the outfit of his trade and with a book in his hands.
Manet had a classic education, worked in the ateliers of his time (as that of Couture) and was able to dominante the pictorial tradition. However, abbe Hurel is depicted vertically, with diminished depth. The spacial equilibrium is modified, sealed, closed from behind. As a result, the background is phantasmagorical, the space is not real, just a mixture of colors. Over that surface, the dark robe comes forward, creating volume in the eyes of the viewer. The face and the hands seem suspended between the darkness and the light, because they are the key elements of this painting: the face defines the subject and the hands carry a book of prayers.
Manet is known as the artist that modified the techniques and ways of representation. He inspired Impressionism and opened the doors to 20th century painting, because he left behind the influences of the Quattrocento and focused on the canvas.
This artwork, however, seems like a setback in Manet's career. We must not forget, though, that it's a portrait of a friend and not a work to present at the Salon nor a detailed study of the city and its inhabitants. It was conceived as a gift to the Abbe.
Keep reading... "La pintura de Manet", by M. Foucault (2015), Fondo de Cultura Económica de Argentina S.A. Buenos Aires.
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