Woman Reading
1880–82
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
61.2 × 50.7 cm (24 1/16 × 19 7/8 in.); Framed: 83.2 × 73.1 × 9.9 cm (32 3/4 × 28 3/4 × 3 7/8 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
14591
Art Historical Context
Édouard Manet's *Woman Reading* (188–82), an oil on canvas measuring about 61 × 51 cm, captures an intimate moment of quiet concentration. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Painting and Sculpture of, this modest-scale work exemplifies Manet's late style during his final years, when declining health limited him to smaller, personal compositions. Painted in loose, fluid brushstrokes typical of his oeuvre, the canvas showcases his mastery of light and texture, rendering fabric and skin with a fresh, modern vitality. As a pioneer bridging Realism and Impressionism, Manet ofte...