EDOUARD MANET
(1832-1883)
This etching is a reversed version of the oil painting Espagnol jouant de la Guitare (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), which was exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1861 that brought the artist his first major critical success. Although Manet did not rate printmaking highly, he soon realised the potential of the medium to publicise his painting. Manet was trying to establish his reputation in Paris at a time when etching was undergoing a revival in popularity. The etched version of The Spanish Singer is a consistent translation of the original, not a reproduction as previous etchings of Manet’s work had been. It appears, Manet took a particular interest in recreating this image, working from two intermediate drawings, one a watercolour, the other a tracing (De Leiris 161, and De Leiris 160, Collection Emery Reves).
There has been some discrepancy over the identity of the guitarist. It has been suggested that it could be José Bosch (1826-1895), the foremost Spanish guitarist who made a successful appearance in Paris around this time and whom Manet depicted on the cover of a piece of sheet music (cat.no.29, Harris). Alternatively, the sitter could be an unidentified model whom Manet saw in the street and called into his studio to pose.
Copyright © Trustees of Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford.
Extract taken from Prints, Cecil Higgins Art Gallery .