Manets Letters

Name:

Annotate the text as you read letters written by Manet.

(Here are some ideas: Make connections to your knowledge of the Salon and other impressionist
artists, mark down questions, make comments and opinions, etc.)

1850--

The day I enrolled in Couture's studio, they gave me an antique cast to copy. I
turned it around in every direction. It looked more interesting upside down. In the
end, after two or three attempts, I gave up the idea of getting anything out of
Antiquity. But I learnt a great deal on my trip to Brazil. I spent endless nights
looking at the play of light and shade in the ship's wake. And in the daytime, from
the upper deck, I would keep my eyes on the horizon. That's how I learnt how to
capture a sky.

-EDOUARD MANET

Florence, 19 November 1857--

TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY,

Mr. Eugene Brunet and Edouard Manet from Paris respectfully beg
permission from the President of the Academy to work for 3o days in the
cloister of the Annunziata.

-E. MANET

(Recorded by Theodore Duret at the Salon of 1865]--

Who is this Monet whose name sounds just like mine and who is taking
advantage of my notoriety?

-EDUOUARD MANET

Wednesday, January 2 [1867]

My dear Zola,
I am making up my mind to hold a private show. I have at least two score
pictures to exhibit. I've already been offered a site in a very good location
near the Champ de Mars. I'm going to stake the lot, and seconded by men
like yourself, am hopeful of success. See you soon. Cordially, yours ever,
All of us here are delighted with your article, and I am instructed to send
you thanks.

-EDOUARD MANET

Friday [summer 1875]

To Eugene Manet,

I've seen Monet recently and he's absolutely broke; he wants to get hold of a
thousand-franc bill and for that he's offering 10 pictures of one's cboice. If you
have 500 francs at your disposal we could do the deal together - as far as I'm
concerned, I know that with 5 paintings that I could dispose of for a profit of at
least 100 francs, we would recover our outlay almost immediately - If you're
game, send me a cheque for 500 francs and I'll go and collect the canvases from
him. Obviously he mustn't know that we are the ones doing the deal - but I've tried
other people and no one dares take the risk - it's just absurd.

-EDOUARD MANET