Description
Exotic Flower is a figure study rather than a botanical subject. Édouard Manet depicts a Spanish woman with dark hair, a mantilla, and a delicate fan, her pale shoulders contrasting with the darker clothing. The close arrangement of hands, fan, and body gives the image an intimate, slightly enigmatic presence against its subdued background.
Made in 1868 with etching and aquatint, the print was commissioned by Philippe Burty to accompany a sonnet by Armand Renaud. Manet drew upon Goya’s prints, adapting their Spanish imagery and tonal language to this pairing of poetry and art. The fan’s dark lace and the broad shadows make detail and atmosphere work together, allowing the woman’s presence to suggest the poem’s theme without becoming a literal illustration of every line.
Read our guide to giclée prints, browse more Édouard Manet prints, or explore Don Mariano Camprubi (Le Baïlarin).
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