“The Absinthe Drinker” is a genre painting exemplifying the Realism art movement, completed by Edouard Manet in 1859. The oil on canvas artwork is currently housed at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, Denmark. It offers a poignant representation of everyday life, portrayed through the lens of Realism.
The artwork depicts a lone figure characterized by a sense of melancholy and detachment, seated against a muted and somber background. The figure, adorned in dark, casual attire, is cloaked in a heavy brownish overcoat and wears a tall, black hat. To the left, a glass of absinthe sits on a pedestal, while a bottle lies discarded on the floor by his feet, suggesting an air of despondency and contemplation. The subdued color palette and the focused, almost shadowy, lighting draw attention to the central figure’s posture and expression, evoking a narrative of quiet introspection and perhaps desolation.
