The Reader (Le liseur)
1861
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Edouard Manet
Édouard Manet didn’t have much time to make his mark—he died at 51—but he used every year.
See the richer artist page1861
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Reader (Le liseur) is a 1861 ink by Edouard Manet, a Impressionism work, depicting Reading, held at National Gallery of Art.
Manet’s etching shows a woman in profile reading a book. She’s dressed in a dark dress with a white collar. The light hits her shoulders softly. This isn’t a quick sketch. Manet used drypoint here. That’s where he scratches lines into metal with a needle. The lines look rough but bold. Try his painting *Olympia* at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Édouard Manet didn’t have much time to make his mark—he died at 51—but he used every year.
See the richer artist page
