"Portrait of Émile Zola," Edouard Manet, 1868.
Manet needs no introduction. But here we have one of the great stars of 19th century French letters, Emile Zola. Here he is painted at a time when he was still best known as an art critic and for his recently published novel "Thérèse Raquin."
Manet is a bit waggish here...on the wall behind the disorderly desk are a few small prints. One is of Manet's own controversial painting "Olympia," which Zola championed as Manet's best work. There's an etching from Velazquez's "Bacchus," referring to Manet and Zola's shared fondness for Spanish art. And a print of a Japanese wrestler by Utagawa Kuniyaki II, along with a Japanese screen, all point to the influence Japanese art had on the art culture of France at the time....which lent itself to the growing Impressionist movement.
He's also distracted, not really looking at us, lost in his own thoughts. He doesn't address the viewer at all, but is at work composing something in his head.
From Musée d'Orsay, Paris
#Art #Realism #EdouardManet #EmileZola #Portrait #PortraitMonday