Manet was a born-and-bred Parisian who was the consummate flâneur. Observing urban life was especially timely, since Manet watched the modernization of Paris unfold before his eyes as Baron Haussmann transformed the city during the reign of Napoleon III (1852-1870). This transformation displaced many citizens, including beggars, ragpickers, street singers, and the like, who became popular subjects in art. The beggar-philosopher motif was already familiar to Manet from 17th-century Spanish art, and absinthe had first become popular in France in the 1850s; by 1862, there were 500 establishments in Paris alone that specialized in serving the liqueur despite an awareness of its debilitating effects. Manet created many versions of his absinthe drinker; this drawing is one of his last. The artist first created the figure in the late 1850s, resulting in a large oil painting, The Absinthe Drinker (now in the collection of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, Denmark), which was rejected by the judges for the official Paris Salon of 1859 because of Manet’s use of a life-size, full-length canvas for the ignoble subject of a poor drunkard. His early compositions lacked both the bottle of liqueur and its accompanying glass, both characteristic of a contemporary drunk, but necessary for the depiction of the man as such. In the following years, during the early 1860s, Manet continued to develop this character in a number of etchings, this time facing to the right but still covered by a large, dark cloak. He also included the figure in The Old Musician (1862), a large oil painting now at The National Gallery in Washington, D.C., USA. Manet composed this character for the last time in lithographic ink between 1875 and 1880 in the work that now hangs at Hill-Stead. This composition features all three components that Manet worked over a decade to develop: the cloaked figure, the liqueur glass, and the bottle of absinthe.
- Title: The Absinthe Drinker
- Creator: Édouard Manet
- Creator Lifespan: 1832-1883
- Creator Nationality: French
- Date Created: c. 1875-1880
- Physical Dimensions: L. 9 11/16 in. (24.6 cm.) x W. 6 1/16 in. (15.4 cm.)
- Type: Drawing
- Medium: Ink, Ink wash
- Art Genre: Portrait
- Art Movement: French Impressionism
- Art Form: Drawing
- Support: Paper
- Depicted Topic: Absinthe, Ragpicker
DecorArts is a professional wall art company located in California.
Each of our prints is proudly designed and constructed in the USA, right in our workshop. We are dedicated to delivering the finest quality, craftsmanship, and customer service with each and every order. With giclée printing technology, we are able to provide the best possible quality for the reproduction of fine art masterpieces as well as your personal photos. Our prints capture the subtlest of colors and contrasts, while retaining superb image sharpness.
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We also offer a wide selection of iconic classic paintings -- from Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper to Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night to Hokusai’s The Great Wave of Kanagawa -- all stunningly reproduced with giclée printing technology. Browse our gallery of curated masterpieces, where you’re sure to find your favorites or discover just the right one for your home, office, gift recipient, etc. Have an inquiry? Need some suggestions? Shoot us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Giclée Quality Guarantee:
Giclée printing is meant to produce a product at a higher quality and longer lifespan than a standard desktop inkjet printer. The word was used to describe digital reproductions of conventional artworks (painting or drawing) or photographs.
There are at least three basic criteria which must be met in order for the print to be considered a true giclée...
- For giclée printing, the paper or substrate used to actually print the final piece must be acid free and consist of a 100% cotton base.
- Any image that is to be printed as a giclée needs to be created at a resolution of no less than 300 dots per inch (DPI). This is to ensure that the final print has the sharpest detail and lacks any of the fragmentation that can occur with images less than 300 DPI.
- The last step to creating or confirming a true giclée print is the type of ink and printer used. The biggest contrast between a standard inkjet print and a giclée print is that giclées are printed using pigment-based inks rather than the dye-based inks found in lower cost inkjets. Pigment-based inks have a longer life span that can last anywhere from 100 to 200 years without significant fading.
The Quality :
The quality of the giclée print rivals traditional silver halide and gelatin printing processes and is commonly found in museums, art galleries, and photographic galleries.
With Giclée printing technology, we are able to provide the best possible quality for the reproduction of fine art masterpieces as well as your personal photos. Our prints capture the subtlest of colors and contrasts, while retaining superb image sharpness.
- We use real wood (non-MDF) for our canvas stretcher bars
- The canvas depth of of each dimension will be 1.5" thick
All of our canvas prints are gallery wrapped. Your image will be visible in full on the front side of the canvas while the outer edges are either artistically extended or mirrored to wrap over the wood stretcher bars on all sides. Our canvases are hand-stretched over solid wood stretcher bars.
Our canvas art works arrive ready to hang right out the box! We will affix a sturdy sawtooth hanger to the back of your canvas and include in your package: two screws, two nails, a pair of gloves, and a gradienter (small water level to ensure art is hung straight).
Framed:
Our framed arts are specially designed for both classic art and personalized artwork. Choose from a variety of frames for the perfect one to suit the style of your home.
- Mounted on back flannel so as not to scuff your walls
- Artwork arrives READY TO HANG. Hanging accessories come complimentary
Our frames are specifically chosen to complement each artwork. However, we will gladly accommodate if you'd prefer a different frame. Contact us at customerservice@decorarts.com for inquiries.
