Jeanne. Le Printemps. Springtime. by Édouard Manet, 1832-1883

Édouard Manet, 1832-1883
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Jeanne. Le Printemps. Springtime.

Original etching with aquatint in black/brown ink. 1882. Signed in the plate. From the rare edition of 50 impressions, before the addition of the lettering, issued for the Gazette de Beaux Arts de-luxe edition, 1902. (The subsequent edition by the Beaux Arts, as usually seen, has an engraved letters title). (There was no edition in 1882, but c 30 impressions were issued in 1890 and 1894.)

Extremely fine rich and contrasty impression, printed with tone. On pale cream japan paper. Excellent condition. The extreme left edge of the platemark - 1 1/4ins clear of the image - trimmed by 1/8inch, otherwise full margins showing the platemark, as issued. Sheet: 11 x 7 3/8ins. Plate: 9 3/4 x 7 1/8ins (248x183mm). Image: 6 1/8 x 4 1/4ins

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An extremely beautiful and richly tonal impression from the special edition of 50 impressions on warm cream japan paper, before the regular edition for the Beaux Arts, and before the lettering and title were added to the plate. Rare in this form.

The theme of the etching 'Jeanne' is derived from a watercolour that Manet painted in 1881 as the first picture in an intended series of the 'Four Seasons' (in fact the remainder of the series was never completed). As a model he used the young actress Jeanne Demarsy, who was then greatly in vogue. Manet recorded in his diary that he went to the milliners specially to chose the hat for her to wear in her personification of 'Springtime'.

'Jeanne' was one of the last etchings that Manet drew. By 1882, when he started on it, his style in painting had become much more free and open than in the earlier years. He was concentrating on a more characteristically 'impressionist' treatment of light and colour, and its effect on the visual form. He translated this same freedom into the etching. Defined contour has given way to broken strokes forming a beautiful pattern of light, so that figure, parasol and background come part of a whole unity of light. Notably just Jeanne's profile is created with a perfect line, so that it stands as a focus of the image. Part of the effect of this 'dappling' of light is due to the way that Manet used the aquatint tone, and that tone is particularly strong in this japan paper impression.