Manet Copy

Manet Copy

8x6in oil on canvas board  $100.

This rose study (detail) by Edouard Manet (1832-1883) was completed in 1882, one year before he died. Like the previous two artists, Sargent and Sorolla, Manet studied the work of Velasquez and the similarities of the brushwork are apparent in all the early works. 
I picked this piece to copy simply for the reason of the close up view of the roses. It is easy to get a magnifying glass to study the strokes and edges. Unlike the previous pieces I copied I found I was not enamored with this piece. There was an awkward aspect I could not understand so I did some research only to find out how very ill he was when he painted it. I am full of admiration for the spirit within him to continue to paint under what must have been painful circumstances.
Less than a year later his leg was amputated and he died 10 days later. He is buried in the cemetery at Passy, France.
Several artists held the flag which covered his coffin. Monet was one of them.