The Smoker (Le fumeur)
1866
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 page1866
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Smoker (Le fumeur) is a 1866 ink by Edouard Manet, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows an older man with a long white beard and a hat pulled low. He’s holding a pipe in one hand and pointing with the other, like he’s telling a story. His clothes look loose and worn, and the lines are quick and rough, almost like scribbles. The artist used a technique that lets ink sit in the grooves of the metal plate, creating dark, scratchy lines. This isn’t a polished painting—it’s raw, like a quick sketch meant to capture a moment. Try looking up etching to see how this process works.
Édouard Manet didn’t have much time to make his mark—he died at 51—but he used every year.
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