“Woman Reading,” painted by Edouard Manet around 1879 in Paris, France, is an oil on canvas artwork bearing the dimensions of 61.2 x 50.7 cm. This piece is a genre painting belonging to the Impressionism movement and is currently housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois, US.
The artwork depicts a woman absorbed in reading a large newspaper or perhaps a book while surrounded by a lush, verdant background. Rendered with broad, expressive brushstrokes characteristic of the Impressionist style, the woman is dressed in a dark outfit complemented with a hat, her face illuminated with a muted yet insightful expression. Her hands, donned in gloves, carefully hold the reading material close, indicative of her engrossed state. The scene captures a quotidian moment with an ease and elegance, a testament to Manet’s adeptness in portraying modern life with a lucid immediacy. The background foliage and red flowers hint at an outdoor setting, adding to the sense of tranquil leisure.
