ILLUSTRATION A
Old Woman Frying Eggs Velázquez 1618
genre painting; Velázquez frequently used working-class characters in early paintings, sometimes using his family as models; the old woman here also appears in his Christ in the House of Martha and Mary (1618).
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère 1882 Manet
This melancholic café scene is undoubtedly Manet's last masterpiece. The Folies-Bergere was a popular café concert for a fashionable and diverse crowd. The lively bar scene is reflected in the mirror behind the central figure, the sad bar girl. Her beautiful, tired eyes avoid contact with the viewer - who also plays a double role as the customer in this scene. Much has been made of the faulty perspective from the reflection in the mirror, but this was evidently part of Manet's interest in artifice and reality. On the marble countertop is an exquisite still-life arrangement of identifiable bottles of beer and liquor, flowers, and mandarins, all of which anticipate the still lifes of his final two years of life.
The Surrender of Breda Velázquez 1634–35,
commissioned by Philip IV of Spain to glorify Spanish military accomplishments; the painting depicts the exchange of the key of Breda from the Dutch's possession, to the Spanish; It depicts Spanish soldiers with fewer number of Dutch soldiers, the latter having destroyed, thrown away, or surrendered their weapons; in contrast, the Spaniards stand in a mass of upright lances on the right side of the composition, giving an air of calm in a lively scene; Velázquez also used effective perception and aerial techniques
Portrait of Mariana of Austria Velázquez 1652–53 (oil-on-canvas)
Dona Mariana (known as Maria Anna), daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III & Maria Anna of Spain, 19, at the time; although vivacious she has an unhappy expression, heavily made up, she holds a lace handkerchief, her dress is decorated with jewellery, including a gold necklace, bracelets & brooch, behind her a clock on scarlet drapery- all reflecting her status & signifying status and discernment. The portrait is bathed in harmonious shades of black and red.
Music in the Tuileries Manet 1862
An early example of Manet's painterly style. Inspired by Hals and Velázquez, it is a harbinger of his lifelong interest in the subject of leisure. Regarded as unfinished by some, the suggested atmosphere imparts a sense of what the Tuileries gardens were like at the time; one may imagine the music and conversation. Manet has depicted his friends, artists, authors, and musicians who take part, and he has included a self-portrait among the subjects.
Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets Manet 1872 (oil painting)
portrait of fellow painter Berthe Morisot in black mourning dress, with a barely visible bouquet of violets. Influenced by Spanish painters Goya & Velazquez (masters of black colour & tone), Manat depicts Morisot in black hat, dress & black eyes (they were in fact green), to highlight her "Spanish" beauty - she has a Goya look about her. The use of black flattens form by to produce a two-dimensional pattern-like effect on either side of her face (a Japanese convention). Her black costume & elaborate hat high on her head give her the look of a Goya figure, while the flattening of forms by the use of black to produce a two-dimensional pattern-like effect on either side of her face is a Japanese convention. The dominating elements are her powerful eyes, giving character to her face, while drawing the viewer into the composition. She looks directly at us, candidly & with a hint of amusement. Her head emerges from the flatness of the black, which in their turn contrast with the light, undifferentiated background.