Civil War
1871–73, published 1874
Medium
Lithograph on chine collé; second state of two
Dimensions
Image: 15 5/8 × 20 in. (39.7 × 50.8 cm) Sheet: 19 1/8 × 24 3/4 in. (48.6 × 62.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.60.18
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the turbulent aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune of 1871, Édouard Manet created *Civil War* (1871–73, published 1874), a stark lithograph capturing the brutal reality of urban conflict. This print depicts a barricade strewn with fallen bodies during the "Bloody Week," when government forces crushed the short-lived Commune uprising. Manet, a politically engaged artist and precursor to Impressionism, used his realist style—marked by bold contrasts and unflinching detail—to bear witness to the violence, echoing Goya's war etchings while addressing contemporary French society's fractures. Printed by Lemercier & Cie. as a lithograph on chine collé (a delicate technique bonding thin Asian paper to a sturdy support for finer lines and textures), this second state of two exemplifies 19th-century printmaking innovation. The medium allowed wide dissemination of Manet's provocative imagery, making political art accessible amid censorship fears. At 15⅝ × 20 inches, its scale amplifies the horror of death, with tags evoking men amid mortality. Acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art via the Rogers Fund in 1922, *Civil War* remains a poignant testament to Manet's fusion of journalism and artistry, inviting visitors to reflect on war's human cost.
About the Artist
Lemercier & Cie.|Edouard Manet|Lemercier & Cie. (French|French|French) · 1832 | | –1883 | |
French, Paris 1832–1883 Paris|French, Paris|French, Paris