The artwork titled “Victorine Meurent,” created by Edouard Manet in 1862 in Paris, France, is an oil painting on canvas. Belonging to the Realism art movement, the piece is a portrait measuring 42.9 x 43.8 cm and is currently housed in the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston, MA, US.
The artwork portrays a young woman, Victorine Meurent, captured from the shoulders up against a dark, undefined background. Painted with remarkable attention to detail and realism, the subject’s facial features are meticulously rendered, showcasing a candid and unembellished expression. A subtle interplay of light and shadow accentuates her composed yet somewhat distant gaze. Meurent’s auburn hair, adorned with a blue ribbon, and her modest attire, comprising a lightly colored blouse adorned with simple yet elegant trimmings, emphasize a sense of understated elegance and introspection. The minimalist background ensures that the viewer’s focus remains squarely on the subject, highlighting Manet’s masterful ability to evoke depth and character through restrained and deliberate brushwork. This portrait epitomizes the qualities of Realism, conveying a straightforward and unidealized depiction of its subject.
