Silentium
1862–64
Medium
Etching on blue laid paper, final state (II)
Dimensions
plate: 8 x 5 15/16in. (20.3 x 15.1cm) sheet: 14 1/2 x 9 3/8in. (36.8 x 23.8cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1921
Accession Number
21.76.13
Tags
Art Historical Context
Édouard Manet's *Silentium* (1862–64) is a striking etching on blue laid paper, capturing the artist's mastery of printmaking during a pivotal period in his career. Created in the final state (II), this work measures 8 x 5 15/16 inches on the plate, with a larger sheet of 14 1/2 x 9 3/8 inches. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Drawings and Prints, it was acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1921. The title, Latin for "silence hints at a contemplative male subject, aligning with the's tag and Manet's interest in evocative, modern portraiture. Manet, a trailblazer bridging Realism and Imp...
About the Artist
Edouard Manet · 1832–1883
Édouard Manet (1832-1883) was a French painter who played a pivotal role in the transition from Realism to Impressionism, often called the 'Father of Modern Art.' Born into a wealthy Parisian family, Manet defied his father's wishes for a legal career to pursue painting, studying under academic artist Thomas Couture. His revolutionary works 'Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe' and 'Olympia' (both 1863) scand...