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Mademoiselle V. . . in the Costume of an Espada

1862
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 810

Manet depicted model Victorine Meurent (1844–1927) in the guise of a male espada, or matador, borrowing her pose from a Renaissance print. Victorine’s shoes are unsuitable for bullfighting, and the pink cape that she flourishes is the wrong hue, but she carries off her role with panache. The backdrop reproduces a scene from Goya’s Tauromaquia series celebrating the feats of bullfighters. When this painting was exhibited at the infamous Salon des Refusés of 1863, a commentator noted, "Manet loves Spain, and his favorite master seems to be Goya, whose vivid and contrasting hues, whose free and fiery touch he imitates."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Mademoiselle V. . . in the Costume of an Espada
  • Artist: Edouard Manet (French, Paris 1832–1883 Paris)
  • Date: 1862
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 65 x 50 1/4 in. (165.1 x 127.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
  • Object Number: 29.100.53
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

Audio

Cover Image for 6148. Mademoiselle V. . . in the Costume of an Espada

6148. Mademoiselle V. . . in the Costume of an Espada

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