An artwork on Galleree from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Young Lady in 1866Edouard Manet
French, Paris 1832–1883 Paris
1866
72 7/8 x 50 5/8 in. (185.1 x 128.6 cm)
Painting
Oil on canvas
European Paintings
Gift of Erwin Davis, 1889
In Edouard Manet's painting "Young Lady in 1866," we encounter a young woman enveloped in a soft, pale pink garment. The simplicity of her dress contrasts with the complexity of her expression, inviting viewers to ponder her thoughts. She stands poised, holding a small object delicately between her fingers, suggesting a moment of contemplation or perhaps curiosity.
Behind her, a dark backdrop enhances the focus on her figure, creating a sense of intimacy. On her right, the curious parrot and the faintly visible doll add layers to the scene. The parrot, with its inquisitive gaze, seems to share an unspoken connection with the woman, bridging human emotion with the instinctual nature of the bird.
Manet’s brushwork captures both elegance and realism, drawing us into this quiet yet reflective moment. The woman's direct gaze invites us to consider her story; it’s as if she holds secrets within the folds of her dress. This artwork captures a fleeting moment of time, suggesting that beneath the calm surface lies a world of thoughts and feelings.
About the artist
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from The Met's Open Access dataset under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 1000 Fifth Avenue New York, NY, USA 10028
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