Artwork
Child Holding a Tray (L'Enfant Portant un Plateau)
Child Holding a Tray (L'Enfant Portant un Plateau) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Édouard Manet. It dates from 1862 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left plate: Manet
About this work
Overview
Child Holding a Tray (L'Enfant Portant un Plateau) is an etching created by Edouard Manet in 1862 on laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a child dressed in old-fashioned attire, carrying a tray with a cake and wine bottle, suggesting a domestic or service role. The child's simple yet neat clothing and poised stance imply a sense of responsibility.
Technique & Style
Manet employed rapid, sketchy lines to convey texture and movement, leveraging the expressive potential of black and white. The textured paper enhances the visual impact of the etching's lines and shadows.
Context
The work showcases Manet's skill with etching, a technique involving acid and metal plates to produce detailed prints.
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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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