Edouard Manet – House at Rueil

Edouard Manet was born on January 1, 1832 in Paris and also died there on April 30, 1883. Like Paul Cezanne, he was a pioneer of modern painting. Every day, Manet, elegantly dressed, strolled down the streets of Paris, to observe modern everyday life, so he could reflect on it in his paintings. He met progressive contemporary artists, authors, painters and politicians in cafes, restaurants, bars and vaudevilles. He never felt associated with impressionism. His naturalistic works were publically dismissed. His most famous painting “The Luncheon on the Grass” belonged to his “Ugly Naked Women” collection. It was rejected by Salon de Paris out of consideration because of the rare style and the moral feeling. Ten days before he died, he found out that he had syphilis and had to have a leg amputateed. He found respect and admiration for his work – after his death.

The painting “The House at Ruiel” was created in 1882, one year before Manet’s death. It measures 92.3 x 71.5 cm (width x height). It should portray the house of comedy writer Eugene Labiche in Rueil-Malmaison, not too far from Paris, where Manet stayed as a guest.

A hot summer’s day in gleaming light. The painter is seated in the shade from the trees on a nearly white gravel path. His glance falls upon the sunlit house in front of him. We can only see a part of the two storey house. The facade is one of a French cottage with classical elements. The walls are decorated in a light yellow. The window shutters are in a very light blue. Some of the windows are open, letting in air, warmth or light. Others are closed by window shutters or curtains. The front door seems to be open, yet it’s hidden behind a tree that’s growing out of a roundabout. Under the tree are hostas and some red blossomed flowers. To the left we see a welcoming white bench. To the right, outlines of a low chair with perhaps a blanket or a cloak in it. One can almost see the difference between standing in the shade, as if the painter was standing or sitting in front of the house in the sun. Perhaps Manet escaped the mid-day heat from the sun to sit in the shade to paint this contrast between sun and shade.

Painting of impersseionism. Painted in oil on a canvas.

In the Alten Nationalgalerie on the Museuminsel, Bodestraße 1-3, 10178 Berlin-Mitte. To find out how to get there, please click the link below the description