Edouard Manet

Original Prints: Etchings

Edouard Manet (1832 - 1883) was one of the most important and innovative artists of his time, a deliciously masterful painter who was skillfully able to translate his art into the various graphic media.

A founding member of the Société des Aquafortistes in 1862, and thus actively taking part in the revival of printmaking as an art form in its own right, he was drawn to etching quite early on, with nearly all of his production dating to the 1860s. Although not a technician in the proper sense, he often sought to turn technique to advantage through bold experimentation.

Philippe IV, Roi d'Espagne, d'après Velasquez Philip IV, King of Spain, after Velazquez Moreau-Nélaton 6, Guérin 7, Harris 15, Fisher 13-14, Wilson-Bareau 22 etching, aquatint, and drypoint, probably 1862, the 4th (?) state (of 8), a very rare trial proof before all letters Like Paris itself in the early 1860s, Manet was taken up with Spanish themes, and notably the works of Velazquez and Goya; this free interpretation of the well-known picture afforded Manet an almost playful printmaking exercise.

Les Petits Cavaliers The Little Cavaliers Moreau-Nélaton 5, Guérin 8, Harris 5, Fisher 6, Wilson-Bareau 23 etching, drypoint, roulette, and aquatint, 1861-62, the 3rd state (of 5), a rare early lifetime proof impression Another freely executed copy of a picture formerly attributed to Velazquez, this print is Manet's most accomplished early etching, and one of his largest.

Le Christ aux Anges The Christ with Angels Moreau-Nélaton 59, Guérin 34, Harris 51, Fisher 25, Wilson-Bareau 44 etching and aquatint, 1866-7, the 3rd state (of 3) Manet's largest and most ambitious etching, a reduction of his large painting that was shown in the Salon de 1864 (now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), this striking print is the first of his few religious subjects.  It was furthermore never editioned, either in Manet's lifetime or posthumously.            next artist  >