Friday, 23 January 2015

Again

Here on Nigeness it's become something of a tradition to mark the birthday of the great Edouard Manet (born on this day in 1832), so here's another of his paintings. Called Le Repos, this is an affectionate portrait of his friend and fellow artist, the gifted Berthe Morisot - who persuaded Manet to take up plein air painting, with happy results. Morisot was also Manet's sister in law, being married to his brother Eugene until his death in 1895, which was shortly followed by Berthe's death, of pneumonia, contracted while nursing her daughter Julie. She was only 54, but even so she did better than Manet, who died in 1883 at just 51. But enough of death - enjoy the life and joyful free brushwork in Le Repose, a painting that lives quietly at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence.
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5 comments:

  1. Guy Walker23 January 2015 at 18:22

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  2. Guy Walker23 January 2015 at 18:29

    Lovely as usual but, and I'm really sorry about this Nige..I feel terrible but, as a practising French teacher, I have to point out that it should be Le Repos. Repose exists but it is feminine and means reinstallation as in refitting a shop. Unless of course Manet was consciously pinching the English word.

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  3. Nige24 January 2015 at 10:45

    Quite so Guy! I'd originally had it as La Repose and only half corrected it - my French is woefully approximate these days. I'll nip in and make it right now...

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  4. Brit10 February 2015 at 08:56

    A fine picture. I wrote a piece here about paintings of women on sofas in which I ponder why there are so very many of them. This is another fine one to add to any sequel.

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  5. Brit10 February 2015 at 08:56

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