October 2024 - Manet: Flowers in a Crystal Vase (1882)
Édouard Manet 1832 – 1883 was a French modernist painter who was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life and was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Manet was born into an upper-class family with strong political connections. Initially expected to pursue a naval career, he instead chose to become a painter. In his early career Manet was not a proponent of the very popular at that time Realism art movement, and his early masterworks, including The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe) or Olympia, "premiering" in 1863 and '65, respectively, caused great controversy with both critics and the Academy of Fine Arts. However, progressive artists viewed his new style as a breakthrough and it lead to a new style, Impressionism! Manet was associated closely with many great artists of his time and his simple and direct style, heralded as innovative and fresh, has served as a major influence for generations of painters. Today his works are considered to mark the start of modern art.
This still life is one of Manet's notable works. Flowers in a Crystal Vase, 1882, depicts a bouquet of flowers, including white roses and carnations, and hints at other flowers through the use of dashes of delphinium blue, marigold orange, brick red, and butter yellow rendered with a mix of thick and thin paint to emphasize textures. Manet attached great importance to still life painting, which he considered the "touchstone of the painter." He found historical subjects tedious and believed that a painter could express everything through still life, using objects like fruits, flowers, or even clouds!
Socknado - 80% SW Fine Merino / 20%Nylon
350 meters / 385 yards per 100 gram / 3.5 oz skein
Gauge: 27 - 32 sts / 4 inches (10 cm) US 1.5 - 3 or 2.5 - 3.25 mm
While we make every effort to represent colour accurately, they may vary slightly when viewed on different monitors.