“Isabelle Lemonnier with a muff” is a portrait painted by Edouard Manet around 1880 in Paris, France. This oil on canvas work, measuring 82 x 73 cm, belongs to the Impressionism movement and is currently held at the Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas, Texas, United States. The artwork showcases Manet’s distinctive impressionist style through the use of loose brushwork and the depiction of contemporary life.
The painting presents a seated woman—Isabelle Lemonnier, facing slightly to the right. She is dressed in what appears to be warm attire suitable for cooler weather, including a dark coat and a matching hat adorned with some sort of ornamentation at the top. The woman’s cheeks are flushed, perhaps from the cold, and she holds a muff, a cylindrical accessory used to keep hands warm, which was a common fashion item in that period. The background of the painting is rendered in soft, diffused colors that do not detract from the central figure, allowing viewers to focus on the woman’s expression and attire. The details of her face and the hint of a smile suggest an intimate and informal moment captured by Manet.
