Artwork
Madame Manet (Suzanne Leenhoff, 1830–1906) at Bellevue
Madame Manet (Suzanne Leenhoff, 1830–1906) at Bellevue is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Édouard Manet. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The choice of a garden setting and a profile view reflects Manet's late interest in informal, intimate portrayals of his immediate family.
The painting portrays Suzanne Leenhoff (1830–1906), Édouard Manet's wife, who is shown in profile. The Bellevue of the title refers to the garden of the Manet family's rented country house in Bellevue, near Paris, where Suzanne is depicted in a domestic outdoor setting rather than in the formal studio portraits Manet had previously made of her.
The choice of a garden setting and a profile view reflects Manet's late interest in informal, intimate portrayals of his immediate family. By placing Suzanne outdoors at Bellevue, Manet associated her with leisure and the private sphere of family life, marking a shift from his earlier, more conventional portraits of her as a sitter in interior spaces.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1890, this work is an oil painting on canvas. The composition features a woman rendered in profile, a formal choice that emphasises the subject's silhouette against the background. The physical support measures 80.6 cm in height and 60.3 cm in width, providing a vertical format that accommodates the bust-length portrayal.
History & Provenance
Édouard Manet executed the oil painting Madame Manet (Suzanne Leenhoff, 1830–1906) at Bellevue in 1890. The work is executed on canvas and depicts a woman in profile, measuring 80.6 cm in height by 60.3 cm in width. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, though the sources do not provide specific inventory numbers or details regarding its earlier ownership or exhibition history.
Overview
This oil painting by Édouard Manet, created in 1890, portrays his wife, Suzanne Leenhoff. Titled Madame Manet (Suzanne Leenhoff, 1830–1906) at Bellevue, the work captures her in a contemplative profile. It is a late example of Manet's portraiture, offering an intimate glimpse into his personal life. The artwork is presently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Édouard Manet was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.
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