The extraordinary story behind Manet’s portrait of his only pupil Eva Gonzalès, placed within the broader context of women painters of the period
Edouard Manet (1832-1883) only ever had one formal pupil, Eva Gonzalès (1849-1883). The daughter of a prominent writer, she entered Manet’s studio aged 19. He portrayed her the year they met and exhibited the ambitious full-length portrait at the Paris Salon of 1870, at which Gonzalès also displayed her own work, for the first time, to positive reviews. The first in a new series of Discover titles, in which a single work of art in the National Gallery’s collection is reconsidered from a fresh perspective, this book reveals the extraordinary story behind Manet’s portrait by examining it in the context of women’s artistic practice in nineteenth-century Paris, Gonzalès’s development as a professional painter, and Manet’s career in 1870. Combining new art historical research with engaging essays on women artists and their representation in visual culture, Discover Manet & Eva Gonzalès provides a richly illustrated, in-depth study of Manet’s portrait and offers a groundbreaking viewpoint on both artists. Published by National Gallery Global/Distributed by Yale University Press
Exhibition Schedule:
June 1-September 18, 2022 The National Gallery, London
October 21, 2022-January 15, 2023