Mlle. Victorine in the Costume of an "Espada"
Original title: Mlle. Victorine in the Costume of an "Espada"
kurzbeschreibung
In 1862, Edouard Manet etched Victorine Meurent in the role of a Spanish rider. The print is titled "Mademoiselle Victorine in the Costume of an 'Espada'." Manet executed it as an etching with aquatint and bitten tone on laid paper. It belongs to the Cadart edition of the same year.
Description
A woman in Spanish dress dominates the image. In her right hand she holds a long dagger; with her left she gathers a cloth or garment. Jacket, trousers, and hat mark her role as an "Espada." Behind her appear other figures: one on horseback, another floating. The arrangement feels lively, the main figure clearly in front, the others serving as a backdrop.
Context
Manet's engagement with Spanish art and culture falls in these years; Velázquez and Goya provided important impulses. Victorine Meurent, his well-known model, also posed for other major works such as "Olympia." The term "Espada" refers to the Spanish bullfighting tradition, popular in 19th-century France. The sheet was created within a series of prints Manet published in the early 1860s.
Impact
The contrast between the physically present main figure and the merely suggested shapes in the background shapes the impression. Because color is absent, lines and shading come forward, giving the whole a dramatic depth. Realistic conception and historicizing costume thus enter a tension between everyday life and the stage.
Technique
Etching, aquatint, and bitten tone allow fine tonal gradations. The laid paper shows the watermark "Hudelist," an indication of paper manufacture. The present work is the third and final state from the 1862 Cadart edition, valued for its high print quality.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)