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The Escape of Rochefort
Edouard Manet French
Not on view
The sensational escape of journalist Henri Rochefort from a penal colony in New Caledonia inspired Manet to produce a modern history painting for the Salon of 1881. An opponent of Napoleon III’s regime, Rochefort had been arrested in 1874 for his role in the political confrontations of the Paris Commune. Although Manet was absent during the unrest, he nevertheless produced several graphic works denouncing the violent repression of the Communards and rejoiced when the French National Assembly voted for their amnesty on July 14, 1880. Manet centered on the journalist’s tiny dinghy navigating the choppy waters as it heads toward a rescue boat looming on the horizon.
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