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Manet, like most painters, had many models they worked with. Manet found women that not only sat for him but also inspired him. Berthe Morisot was a young art student that had the looks of the dark haired Spanish beauties he was obsessed with. Morisot became an accomplished artist herself and married Manet’s brother, creating a devoted family of artists. 

Victorine Meuret sat for him in his most scandalous and famous paintings. Naked and looking at the viewer pulling them into the world of a courtesan and a picnic by a river. In one of his very last paintings, he depicted the real life waitress at a popular Paris music hall. 

The paintings of these three ladies are linked to Manet’s history and live on for generations hanging on the walls of the museums of Paris. In this week's podcast we explore these beloved images and the women behind them. 

Berthe Morisot met Manet in the Louvre where she was learning how to paint as a copyist and he was captivated by her and wanted to paint her immediately. Le Balcon painted in 1868 showcases Morisot sitting behind the iron railing holding a fan, but my favorite is her portrait. Berthe is shown in black mourning clothes with a very small bouquet of violets, painted in 1872. 

Victorine Meuret, was called many names including La Crevette for her red hair. Her hair is the last thing you notice in the two paintings she is so widely known for, Olympia and Dejeuner sur l’herbe. When these two paintings appeared at the Salons of 1863 & 1865 he shocked Paris. The naked woman in a contemporary setting caused a backlash that followed him for years, yet today there are just a few of his beloved pieces and always garner a crowd in the Musée d’Orsay. 

More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1

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Claudine Hemingway
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