The Avant Garde and Edouard Manet

The term ‘avant-garde’ in a basic definition, describes artists that have moved their work towards a more radical and different representation. Moving towards a more modernistic influence, avant-garde artists of the 19th century depicted different subjects and styles of paintings. For myself I seem to associate this term with the idea of art for arts sake, and moving from Realism towards Impressionism. French painter Edouard Manet, played a vital role in bridging this transition. Works like Luncheon on the Grass, are currently considered as the beginning of modern art.

Manet is a great example of the classic avant-garde, but I do feel as though the term itself in modern times carries different implications then it did in the 19th century. This is where most negative associations can arise from the word, but when looking at the onset of Impressionism, I have found little if none negative aspects. This is because avant-garde is a relatively prominent term that once, during the 19th century marked artists going against the norm and pushing boundaries within art, a highly pivotal time. Within post-modernisim some of these aspects are relevant, just on a different level then the classic avant-garde artists.

Luncheon on the Grass is a great piece that represents this classic avant-garde influence of the early 19th century. This painting was highly controversial and was rejected from multiple salons when Manet first tried to exhibit it. In this piece we see two middle or upper class men sitting in a picnic like setting with a completely nude women. Depicting prostitution within the middle and upper class in painting, was highly controversial and sparked public notoriety. The way the nude women in this piece is staring at the viewer, challenges you viewer into understanding what is going on. This is also the case, somewhat, in Manet’s Olympia, where a nude women stares at the viewer.

Another aspect that seems to challenge the viewer is the use of lighting throughout this piece. Obviously in an outdoor setting, certain things such as the picnic food and the background seem to be highlighted unnaturally. It seems as though this scene could almost have been shot in a studio with the way the light falls across the scene.

The two men seem to be engaged in conversation, almost ignoring the nude female figure as she sits there somewhat comfortably. When this piece arose in 1863, there was much disdain felt by the general public towards it.However, a beatufiul piece, the ‘avant-garde’ aspect is highly emphasized. What also challenges the viewer in this piece is the painting style in which Manet was known for, a more sketched out and scratchy style, moving away from Realism in a more impressionist technique.