This archive report was first published on 2 August 2019.
Published on August 2, 2019, the Art Institute of Chicago's exhibition 'Manet and Modern Beauty' offers a fresh perspective on the artist's later years. In 1865, Édouard Manet's 'Olympia' sparked a scandal at the Paris Salon, with visitors shouting and bawling in front of the painting's frank depiction of a common prostitute.
However, Manet's later works, which include portraits, genre scenes, and still lifes, were often dismissed by art historians as frivolous, fashionable, and feminine. The exhibition aims to challenge this perception and showcase the beauty and elegance of Manet's later style.
Manet, a bourgeois Parisian, had initially sought public approval and civic honors, but as he grew older, he leaned away from the plainness of his scandalous youth to paint more delicate and charming works. The exhibition features over 80 works, including paintings, drawings, and prints, that demonstrate Manet's ability to balance beauty and elegance with a sense of modernity.
