Le Printemps
Jeanne (Spring)
À propos du tableau
A chic young woman in a day dress with floral accents holds a parasol against a background of exuberant foliage. She looks straight ahead, a picture of poise and detachment even as she seems fully aware of the viewer's admiring gaze. Representing aspiring Parisian actress Jeanne Demarsy as the embodiment of Spring, this portrait debuted at the last major public exhibition of Manet's life, the Paris Salon of 1882. For more than two decades, Manet's paintings were rejected by the Salon or met with controversy; *Spring* was the most unalloyed success of the artist's Salon career, a career that ended tragically a year later when Manet died of causes related to syphilis. Appealing to critics primarily on account of Jeanne's charm, *Spring* also showcased Manet's mastery of his medium.
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The painting exhibits a marvelous range of brushwork, from the thin, delicate floral touches on the dress to the smooth handling of Jeanne's face and the broad, sketch-like strokes of the backdrop. The painting's sensual handling and bright, vibrant palette evoke the pleasures of the season it celebrates. When composing *Spring*, Manet had in view both the latest fashion trends and old artistic traditions. An avid connoisseur of feminine *couture*, he pieced together Jeanne's ensemble himself by scouring dressmakers' and milliners' shops. Posing his model in the studio, however, he referred to portrait conventions of the early Italian Renaissance, presenting her half-length, in profile, and against a mass of greenery. More than just an ephemeral "fashion-plate," Manet's archetypal *Spring* was conceived as a picture for the ages, summarizing his modern epoch through the figure of a beautiful *Parisienne*.
Pendant ce temps, chez Édouard Manet
La vie entière1879 · Résidence
8th arrondissement of Paris
1879
The Salon warmly receives “In the Conservatory” and “In the Boat”
Only in 1879 did the Salon appreciate Manet's perseverance: his canvases “In the Conservatory” and “In the Boat” were received very warmly.
September 1879
The first attack of rheumatism and ataxia
In September 1879 Manet suffered his first acute attack of rheumatism; it soon turned out that he had ataxia, a disorder of movement coordination. The illness progressed rapidly and limited his creative possibilities.
December 1881
The Légion d'honneur
In December 1881, at the recommendation of Antonin Proust, his childhood friend and the new minister, Manet was awarded the Légion d'honneur.
19 – 30 April 1883
An amputation and death eleven days later
On 19 April 1883 Manet underwent a very severe operation, the amputation of his left leg; eleven days later, on 30 April, despite the first signs of apparent recovery, he died in terrible agony.
30 avril 1883
Died
