The Urchin - Édouard Manet

Edward G. Uihlein Fund

"The Urchin" by Édouard Manet (1868–74) Lithograph in black, with scraping, on chine with blue and red fibers, laid down on ivory wove paper (chine collé).

Commentary

"The Urchin" by Édouard Manet (1868–74) 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 lithograph. T his 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 Lemercier et Compagnie (French, 19th century). The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as lithograph, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Lithograph in black, with scraping, on chine with blue and red fibers, laid down on ivory wove paper (chine collé)) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image/primary support, including stray marks: 28.6 × 22.9 cm (11 5/16 × 9 1/16 in.); Secondary support: 44.4 × 34.6 cm (17 1/2 × 13 5/8 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include lithograph. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/80723

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