The River in the Plain - Édouard Manet

Gift of Robert M. Light in memory of Harold Joachim

"The River in the Plain" by Édouard Manet (1874) Etching and drypoint in black on ivory Japanese paper.

Commentary

"The River in the Plain" by Édouard Manet (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 inclu de 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) printed by Auguste Delâtre (French, 1822-1907) written by Charles Cros (French, 1842-1888). 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 drypoint in black on ivory Japanese paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 10.6 × 8 cm (4 3/16 × 3 3/16 in.); Plate: 11.6 × 8.8 cm (4 5/8 × 3 1/2 in.); Sheet: 12.9 × 9.9 cm (5 1/8 × 3 15/16 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/135917

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data