Dragonfly, plate 1 from Le Fleuve - Édouard Manet

Gift of Robert M. Light in memory of Harold Joachim

"Dragonfly, plate 1 from Le Fleuve" by Édouard Manet (1874) Etching, drypoint and aquatint in black on ivory laid paper.

Commentary

"Dragonfly, plate 1 from Le Fleuve" 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 include prints and drawing. Th is 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) written by Charles Cros (French, 1842-1888) printed by Auguste Delâtre (French, 1822-1907) and Cochet (French, 19th century) published by Librairie de l'eau-forte (French, 19th century) and Richard Lesclide (French, 1825-1892). The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as prints and drawing, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Etching, drypoint and aquatint in black on ivory laid paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 4.8 × 5.5 cm (1 15/16 × 2 3/16 in.); Plate: 5.9 × 6 cm (2 3/8 × 2 3/8 in.); Sheet: 27.6 × 23.7 cm (10 7/8 × 9 3/8 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include prints and drawing. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/191513

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