The Old Musician
Encyclopedia
The Old Musician is an 1862 painting by French
painter
Édouard Manet
, produced during the period when the artist was influenced by Spanish art. The painting also shows the influence of the work of Gustave Courbet
. This work is one of Manet's largest paintings and is now conserved at the National Gallery of Art
in Washington, DC..
The painting is composed of six characters and a baby in a landscape. Most of them are in fact real individuals. The old musician in the center who is preparing to play the violin
is Jean Lagrène, the leader of a local gypsy band. At the right, there are a young girl standing with a baby in her arms, and two young boys. In the background, the man in the top hat is the rag picker and ironmonger Colardet. At the right, the Oriental man with a turban
and a long robe, partly shown, represents Guéroult, a "wandering Jew". Attitudes and clothes of the characters seem to be inspired by Diego Velázquez
or Louis Le Nain.
The painting contains a series of more or less explicit allusions: the man in the top hat is the same character as The Absinthe Drinker, painted by Manet some years earlier and who reappears in this painting without any particular reason. The young boy in straw hat, meanwhile, is explicitly inspired by Antoine Watteau
's Pierrot.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
Édouard Manet
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....
, produced during the period when the artist was influenced by Spanish art. The painting also shows the influence of the work of Gustave Courbet
Gustave Courbet
Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet was a French painter who led the Realist movement in 19th-century French painting. The Realist movement bridged the Romantic movement , with the Barbizon School and the Impressionists...
. This work is one of Manet's largest paintings and is now conserved at the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
in Washington, DC..
The painting is composed of six characters and a baby in a landscape. Most of them are in fact real individuals. The old musician in the center who is preparing to play the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
is Jean Lagrène, the leader of a local gypsy band. At the right, there are a young girl standing with a baby in her arms, and two young boys. In the background, the man in the top hat is the rag picker and ironmonger Colardet. At the right, the Oriental man with a turban
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
and a long robe, partly shown, represents Guéroult, a "wandering Jew". Attitudes and clothes of the characters seem to be inspired by Diego Velázquez
Diego 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...
or Louis Le Nain.
The painting contains a series of more or less explicit allusions: the man in the top hat is the same character as The Absinthe Drinker, painted by Manet some years earlier and who reappears in this painting without any particular reason. The young boy in straw hat, meanwhile, is explicitly inspired by Antoine Watteau
Antoine Watteau
Jean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement...
's Pierrot.