Artwork
Oloron-Sainte-Marie
Oloron-Sainte-Marie is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Édouard Manet. It dates from 1871 and is held in the collection of the Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection.
About this work
Overview
Édouard Manet’s oil work titled Oloron‑Sainte‑Marie dates from 1871 and is part of the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich. The canvas presents a solitary female figure on a balcony, gazing outward toward a townscape beneath a cloud‑laden sky. The composition balances the intimate foreground with a muted, atmospheric background, inviting contemplation of the scene’s quiet mood.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, a woman in dark attire and a hat, leans on the balcony railing, her posture suggesting introspection. She looks toward the town and surrounding trees, a view that appears to be on the verge of rain. The painting captures a moment of personal reflection set against an everyday urban landscape, emphasizing solitude within public space.
Technique & Style
Manet employs a restrained palette of somber tones, allowing the cloudy sky and distant architecture to recede while the figure remains sharply defined. Brushwork is smooth in the foreground, contrasting with looser, atmospheric handling of the background elements, a technique that creates depth and a sense of impending weather.
History & Provenance
Created shortly after the Franco‑Prussian War, Oloron‑Sainte‑Marie entered the Kunsthaus Zürich’s holdings, where it remains on display. The work’s acquisition reflects the museum’s focus on 19th‑century French painting, and it has been referenced in scholarly catalogues documenting Manet’s later oeuvre.
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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.
- Young Man at His Window
View of the Seine, Paris
Woman Viewed from Behind (Visit to a Museum)
View on the Outskirts of Caen
Siblings (The Artist’s Children)
Café Scene
Luxembourg Gardens
At the Races in the Countryside
Portrait d'Ernest Hoschedé et sa fille Marthe
The man at the window
Place de la Concorde
The Banks of the Marne in Winter