Woman Reading


Woman Reading, 1879/80
Édouard Manet, French, 1832-1883
Oil on canvas, 24 1/16 x 19 7/8 in. (61.2 x 50.7 cm)
Inscribed lower left: Manet
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Coburn Memorial Collection, ARTIC #1933.435
Photo © Joan Ann Lansberry

(From info card)
"As though capturing the brief impression of a passerby, Édouard Manet here painted a young Parisienne sitting in a café or brasserie, a glass of beer at her side. Even her face consists of just a few quick strokes applied to the white-primed canvas like makeup. She is probably reading the recently launched La Vie moderne, a magazine with short articles on literature, art, and society that appealed to men and women alike. Manet contributed illustrations to the publication and exhibited some of his works - including this one - at its offices."