The Fifer
Encyclopedia
The Fifer or Young Flautist is a painting by French painter Édouard Manet
, made in 1866. It is currently kept in the Musée d'Orsay
, Paris.
. The painting, in which Manet reflected the influence of Spanish painting, was rejected by the jury of the Paris Salon in 1866. The painting was exhibited in 1867. In 1884, it was present at the major retrospective exhibition of his work organized as a tribute, after Manet's death in 1883.
The rejection by the Salon jury prompted the writer Émile Zola
to publish a series of articles in defense of Manet in the newspaper L'Événement.
Between 1873 and 1893, the painting was held by Jean-Baptiste Faure, French composer and baritone, friend of Manet. In 1893, it returned to the collection of Durand-Ruel, and was acquired the next year by Count Isaac de Camondo, remaining in his collection until 1911, then was delivered to the French state as a donation. The painting was intended for the Musée du Louvre, where it was not exhibited to the general public until 1914. In 1947, it was moving to the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume
, a showroom located in the Jardin des Tuileries and belonging to the Louvre. It remained there until 1986, when it was brought to the Musée d'Orsay
, like the rest of the collection of Impressionist
paintings in the Louvre. It can currently be seen in room 14 of level 0 of the Musée d'Orsay.
Moreover, as in Velazquez's work, Manet also portrayed an anonymous character, a teenage musician of the band of the Imperial Guard, who was sent to Manet by commander Lejosne, "treated like a grandee of Spain." Additional models may have also posed for the figure: the likenesses of both Léon Leenhoff and Victorine Meurent
have been seen in the boy's face and figure.
This painting was an object of interest in the television show Hogan's Heroes episode "Art for Hogan's Sake".
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first 19th-century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
, made in 1866. It is currently kept in the Musée d'Orsay
Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture,...
, Paris.
History
Manet painted The Fifer after a trip in Spain that he made in 1865, where he discovered the work of Diego VelázquezDiego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist...
. The painting, in which Manet reflected the influence of Spanish painting, was rejected by the jury of the Paris Salon in 1866. The painting was exhibited in 1867. In 1884, it was present at the major retrospective exhibition of his work organized as a tribute, after Manet's death in 1883.
The rejection by the Salon jury prompted the writer Émile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
to publish a series of articles in defense of Manet in the newspaper L'Événement.
Between 1873 and 1893, the painting was held by Jean-Baptiste Faure, French composer and baritone, friend of Manet. In 1893, it returned to the collection of Durand-Ruel, and was acquired the next year by Count Isaac de Camondo, remaining in his collection until 1911, then was delivered to the French state as a donation. The painting was intended for the Musée du Louvre, where it was not exhibited to the general public until 1914. In 1947, it was moving to the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume
Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume
The Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume is a museum of contemporary art in the north-west corner of the Tuileries Gardens in Paris.The building was constructed in 1861 during the reign of Napoleon III...
, a showroom located in the Jardin des Tuileries and belonging to the Louvre. It remained there until 1986, when it was brought to the Musée d'Orsay
Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture,...
, like the rest of the collection of Impressionist
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
paintings in the Louvre. It can currently be seen in room 14 of level 0 of the Musée d'Orsay.
Analysis
As in the painting by Spanish painter, Manet conceived a shallow depth, where vertical and horizontal planes are barely distinguishable. According to Peter H. Feist, in The Player fife, Manet showed the attraction for "the decorative effect of a large single figures, with emphatic contours and placed before a background surface." Facing the monochrome background, strongly colored highlights the figure based on but a reduced palette of colors, dominated the impasto technique: the very sharp black of the jacket and shoes, red pants, white strap, etc.. As a result, the figure stands "firm, smooth and alive."Moreover, as in Velazquez's work, Manet also portrayed an anonymous character, a teenage musician of the band of the Imperial Guard, who was sent to Manet by commander Lejosne, "treated like a grandee of Spain." Additional models may have also posed for the figure: the likenesses of both Léon Leenhoff and Victorine Meurent
Victorine Meurent
Victorine Louise Meurent was a French painter and a famous model for painters.Although she is now best known as the favourite model of Édouard Manet, she also was an artist in her own right, who exhibited repeatedly at the prestigious Paris Salon...
have been seen in the boy's face and figure.
This painting was an object of interest in the television show Hogan's Heroes episode "Art for Hogan's Sake".