This emblematic work perfectly illustrates Manet’s stylistic evolution toward Impressionism. Painted during the summer of 1874 in Argenteuil, it bears witness to the decisive influence of his exchanges with Monet and Renoir.
The composition reveals remarkable mastery of space: the figures stand out clearly against the turquoise expanse of the Seine, while the pronounced diagonals of the boat dynamically structure the scene. The artist exploits the codes of Japanese prints, notably through the use of contrasting color blocks and bold framing that partially crops the boat. The brushwork, freer and more spontaneous, conveys the relaxed atmosphere of this leisure scene. The treatment of light reveals a new sensitivity to atmospheric effects, characteristic of pictorial modernity.
More about Édouard Manet and Boating
- Boating, by Édouard Manet, 1874
- 38 1/4 x 51 1/4 in. (97.2 x 130.2 cm)
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue, New York, displayed in gallery 818
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436947
A leading figure of artistic modernity, Édouard Manet (1832-1883) occupies a pivotal position between Courbet’s realism and emerging Impressionism. Born into the Parisian bourgeoisie, he trained in Thomas Couture’s academic studio before radically emancipating himself from conventions. Luncheon on the Grass and Olympia provoked resounding scandals through their formal modernity and thematic audacity. Manet revolutionized painting by abandoning traditional modeling, favoring frank contrasts and expressive impasto. Paradoxically, although he inspired and encouraged the Impressionist movement, he systematically refused to participate in their independent exhibitions, remaining faithful to the prestige of the official Salon. Frequenting Parisian intellectual circles, notably the Café Guerbois, he profoundly influenced Monet, Renoir, and Berthe Morisot.
