"The Absinthe Drinker" by Édouard Manet (1867–68 or 1874)
Etching and aquatint in black on cream Japanese laid paper.
Commentary
Commentary
"The Absinthe Drinker" by Édouard Manet (1867–68 or 1874) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together.
The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work.
Themes to notice include etching.
This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection.
Édouard Manet is the artist behind this work.
A useful anchor for reading the piece: Édouard Manet (French, 1832-1883)
assisted by Félix Henri Bracquemond (French, 1833-1914)
published by (possibly) Alfred Porcabeuf (French, 19th-20th centuries).
The work is cataloged within a France cultural context.
How to look at this work:
It is cataloged as etching, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object.
Its medium (Etching and aquatint in black on cream Japanese laid paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances.
Its listed dimensions (Image: 25.2 × 14.5 cm (9 15/16 × 5 3/4 in.); Plate: 29 × 16.1 cm (11 7/16 × 6 3/8 in.); Sheet: 36.4 × 26 cm (14 3/8 × 10 1/4 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person.
Subject cues from the catalog include etching.
Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/84520
Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data
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Commentary
Commentary