In 1862, Édouard Manet painted Music in the Tuileries, a masterpiece that depicts fashionable Parisians socializing and listening to music at the Tuileries Gardens. The painting features men standing while women are seated, reflecting the fashion and social values of the time. This “analytic painting” is now owned by the National Gallery in London and Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin.
Manet’s work revolutionized art conventions by portraying contemporary people in everyday situations. It broke away from traditional representations of historical figures or mythological scenes characteristic of earlier art movements. The composition was thought to be controversial because it dared to capture ordinary people rather than idealized figures or dramatic moments.
Music in the Tuileries is considered significant in influencing Impressionism as an artistic movement with its portrayal of en plein air paintings featuring real-life scenery and people taken from daily life events. By capturing contemporary landscapes that reflect modern times and society, Manet opened up new possibilities for artists using photographs as references for outdoor settings, although he would paint them indoors later on.
