The Absinthe Drinker (French: Le Buveur d'absinthe) is an early painting by Édouard Manet, executed c. 1859, considered to be his first major painting and first original work.[1] It is now in the collection of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, in Copenhagen.
Manet became a student in the studio of Thomas Couture from 1850. However, he grew to dislike his master's Salon style and in 1856 set up his own studio. Little of Manet's earliest work survives and much may have been destroyed by Manet himself.
The Absinthe Drinker is a full-length portrait of an alcoholic chiffonnier (rag-picker) named Collardet who frequented that area around the Louvre in Paris.[2] Collardet is painted in mostly brown, grey and black tones. He is standing, wears a black top hat and is wrapped in a brown cloak, like an aristocrat; he leans on a ledge with the empty bottle discarded on the ground by his feet.[3] Manet later added a half-full glass of absinthe on the ledge.[4] Influenced by the realism of Gustave Courbet, the work shows a mundane subject on a large scale, measuring 180.5 centimetres (71.1 in) high by 105.6 centimetres (41.6 in) wide. Manet may have been inspired by the poem Le Vin des chiffonniers ("The rag-pickers' wine") in Charles Baudelaire's 1857 collection Les Fleurs du mal, from the paintings of ordinary people by Diego Velázquez (particularly his paintings of Aesop and Menippus), and from Watteau's L'Indifférent.[citation needed]
Nearing the completion of the painting, Manet showed it to his former master. Asked for his opinion, Couture is said to have retorted: "An absinthe drinker! And they paint abominations like that! My poor friend, you are the absinthe drinker. It is you who have lost your moral sense".[4][note 1]
The Absinthe Drinker was the first work that Manet submitted to the Paris Salon of 1859. It was rejected with only Eugène Delacroix voting in its favour.[5] Part of the reason for its rejection may be its subject; absinthe was thought to be addictive and considered morally degenerate, and this was one of the earliest depictions of absinthe in art.[4] The painting, however, also has technical faults; it is unevenly finished, with brushstrokes visible in places, and the legs join awkwardly with the subject's body.[6] According to art historian Charles F. Stuckey, the painting presented in 1859 may have been significantly different and inferior to the current version, with the subject's legs and the absinthe glass not depicted.[4] Refusal of other works by young painters led eventually to the creation of the Salon des Refusés in 1863.
Manet continued to revise the work after 1859 and inserted the same cloaked figure into his 1862 painting The Old Musician. The original full-length portrait was cut down to three-quarter length by 1867 when it was exhibited by Manet with 56 other works in a self-funded retrospective at the Exposition Universelle held in Paris. In 1872, Manet sold The Absinthe Drinker and 22 other paintings to the art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel "for 35,000 francs, at the prices he [Manet] was asking".[7] The glass of absinthe was a late addition, between 1867 and 1872.
The painting was sold to opera singer Jean-Baptiste Faure in 1906 and exhibited at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen in 1914 when it was acquired for the Ny Carlsberg Foundation. It was one of the first modern works added to the collection at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, where it is still held.[8]
^The poet Paul Verlaine was an absinthe drinker in his last (alcoholic) days
^Jay McKean Fisher (1985). The Prints of Edouard Manet. The Foundation. p. 40. ISBN9780883970836.
^Wittels, Betina; Hermesch, Robert (2008). Absinthe, Sip of Seduction: A Contemporary Guide. Fulcrum Publishing. p. 14. ISBN9781933108216.
^Helene E. Roberts (2013). Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography: Themes Depicted in Works of Art. Routledge. p. 268. ISBN9781136787935.
^ abcdDoris Lanier (2004). Absinthe, the Cocaine of the Nineteenth Century: A History of the ... McFarland. pp. 97–103. ISBN9780786419678.
^Gert-Rudolf Flick (2008). Masters & pupils: the artistic succession from Perugino to Manet, 1480-1880. Hogarth Arts in association with Paul Holberton Publishers. p. 361. ISBN9780955406324.
^. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013.
^Brombert, Beth Archer (1996). Edouard Manet: Rebel in a Frock Coat. Little, Brown and Company, p.305.
^Albert Boime (2008). Art in an Age of Civil Struggle, 1848-1871. University of Chicago Press. p. 651. ISBN9780226063423.
Referencesedit
Manet's Silence and the Poetics of Bouquets, James Henry Rubin, pp. 36-38.
Hideous Absinthe: A History of the Devil in a Bottle, Jad Adams, pp. 35-38.
Manet's Modernism: Or, The Face of Painting in the 1860s, Michael Fried, p. 34.
External linksedit
Media related to The Absinthe Drinker at Wikimedia Commons
January 01, 1970
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The Absinthe Drinker French Le Buveur d absinthe is an early painting by Edouard Manet executed c 1859 considered to be his first major painting and first original work 1 It is now in the collection of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen The Absinthe DrinkerArtistEdouard ManetYearc 1859MediumOil on canvasDimensions180 5 cm 105 6 cm 71 1 in 41 6 in LocationNy Carlsberg Glyptotek Copenhagen Contents 1 Background and history 2 Possible inspirations 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksBackground and history editManet became a student in the studio of Thomas Couture from 1850 However he grew to dislike his master s Salon style and in 1856 set up his own studio Little of Manet s earliest work survives and much may have been destroyed by Manet himself The Absinthe Drinker is a full length portrait of an alcoholic chiffonnier rag picker named Collardet who frequented that area around the Louvre in Paris 2 Collardet is painted in mostly brown grey and black tones He is standing wears a black top hat and is wrapped in a brown cloak like an aristocrat he leans on a ledge with the empty bottle discarded on the ground by his feet 3 Manet later added a half full glass of absinthe on the ledge 4 Influenced by the realism of Gustave Courbet the work shows a mundane subject on a large scale measuring 180 5 centimetres 71 1 in high by 105 6 centimetres 41 6 in wide Manet may have been inspired by the poem Le Vin des chiffonniers The rag pickers wine in Charles Baudelaire s 1857 collection Les Fleurs du mal from the paintings of ordinary people by Diego Velazquez particularly his paintings of Aesop and Menippus and from Watteau s L Indifferent citation needed Nearing the completion of the painting Manet showed it to his former master Asked for his opinion Couture is said to have retorted An absinthe drinker And they paint abominations like that My poor friend you are the absinthe drinker It is you who have lost your moral sense 4 note 1 The Absinthe Drinker was the first work that Manet submitted to the Paris Salon of 1859 It was rejected with only Eugene Delacroix voting in its favour 5 Part of the reason for its rejection may be its subject absinthe was thought to be addictive and considered morally degenerate and this was one of the earliest depictions of absinthe in art 4 The painting however also has technical faults it is unevenly finished with brushstrokes visible in places and the legs join awkwardly with the subject s body 6 According to art historian Charles F Stuckey the painting presented in 1859 may have been significantly different and inferior to the current version with the subject s legs and the absinthe glass not depicted 4 Refusal of other works by young painters led eventually to the creation of the Salon des Refuses in 1863 Manet continued to revise the work after 1859 and inserted the same cloaked figure into his 1862 painting The Old Musician The original full length portrait was cut down to three quarter length by 1867 when it was exhibited by Manet with 56 other works in a self funded retrospective at the Exposition Universelle held in Paris In 1872 Manet sold The Absinthe Drinker and 22 other paintings to the art dealer Paul Durand Ruel for 35 000 francs at the prices he Manet was asking 7 The glass of absinthe was a late addition between 1867 and 1872 The painting was sold to opera singer Jean Baptiste Faure in 1906 and exhibited at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen in 1914 when it was acquired for the Ny Carlsberg Foundation It was one of the first modern works added to the collection at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek where it is still held 8 Possible inspirations edit nbsp Aesop by Velazquez nbsp Menippus by Velazquez nbsp L Indifferent by WatteauSee also editL Absinthe by Edgar Degas List of paintings by Edouard Manet 1859 in artNotes edit The poet Paul Verlaine was an absinthe drinker in his last alcoholic days Jay McKean Fisher 1985 The Prints of Edouard Manet The Foundation p 40 ISBN 9780883970836 Wittels Betina Hermesch Robert 2008 Absinthe Sip of Seduction A Contemporary Guide Fulcrum Publishing p 14 ISBN 9781933108216 Helene E Roberts 2013 Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography Themes Depicted in Works of Art Routledge p 268 ISBN 9781136787935 a b c d Doris Lanier 2004 Absinthe the Cocaine of the Nineteenth Century A History of the McFarland pp 97 103 ISBN 9780786419678 Gert Rudolf Flick 2008 Masters amp pupils the artistic succession from Perugino to Manet 1480 1880 Hogarth Arts in association with Paul Holberton Publishers p 361 ISBN 9780955406324 The Absinthe Drinker Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Archived from the original on 20 January 2013 Brombert Beth Archer 1996 Edouard Manet Rebel in a Frock Coat Little Brown and Company p 305 Albert Boime 2008 Art in an Age of Civil Struggle 1848 1871 University of Chicago Press p 651 ISBN 9780226063423 References editManet s Silence and the Poetics of Bouquets James Henry Rubin pp 36 38 Hideous Absinthe A History of the Devil in a Bottle Jad Adams pp 35 38 Manet s Modernism Or The Face of Painting in the 1860s Michael Fried p 34 External links edit nbsp Media related to The Absinthe Drinker at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Absinthe Drinker Manet amp oldid 1223750527, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
