Accession Number
1953/2.27

Title
Théodore de Banville tourné à gauche (Second plate)

Artist(s)
Édouard Manet

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1874

Medium & Support
etching and aquatint on paper

Dimensions
9 7/16 in x 6 1/4 in (23.97 cm x 15.88 cm);9 7/16 in x 6 1/4 in (23.97 cm x 15.88 cm);19 1/4 in x 14 1/4 in (48.89 cm x 36.2 cm);17 11/16 in x 12 5/16 in (44.93 cm x 31.27 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
This print was intended as a frontispiece for an edition of the poet Théodore de Banville's "Les Ballades," but was abandoned by Manet before it could be published. His idea was to show representations of the volume's poems emanating from the smoke of the poet's lit cigarette. It is unclear if Manet was commissioned by Banville or his publisher, or whether he initially suggested the idea to Banville.

Physical Description
The largest and most central image is of a man wearing a beret, neck tie, and smock. He is turned slightly to his right, and writes with a quill using his left hand while holding a smoking cigarette in his right. He looks up at the viewer. Most of his clothes and his writing surface are only suggested by broad areas of aquatint and stopped-out blank spaces. Behind him and much smaller, are images of, clockwise from left: two clowns, two women, and a ship. The left and bottom of the sheet are left blank.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Primary Object Type
intaglio print

Collection Area
Western

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
authors
clowns
frontispieces (illustrations)
hats
poetry
portraits
seated
ships
studies (visual works)
study
water
women (female humans)