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The Milliner (La modiste) or At the Milliner's (Chez la modiste)
1881
Artwork Viewer
Not on view
Manet was a keen observer of the modern city, and he often painted themes from contemporary Parisian life. He never finished this picture, whose subject, as a result, remains unresolved. Hats arrayed on spindle stands suggest that the woman portrayed is a milliner at work in a hat shop. Her somewhat provocative state of undress, however, suggests a more intimate theme: perhaps a woman at her toilette. Broad, slashing strokes of paint at the hem of the model’s shawl confirm the painting’s unfinished state, but such poignant details as her pink ear, missed out in the application of rice powder makeup to her face, indicate the attention that Manet lavished on this canvas before abandoning it.
- Artist
- Édouard Manet
- Title
- The Milliner (La modiste) or At the Milliner's (Chez la modiste)
- Date
- 1881
- Object Type
- Painting
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Framed: 44 1/8 x 40 1/8 x 4 1/2 in. (112.078 x 101.918 x 11.43 cm) 33 1/2 x 29 in. (85.1 x 73.7 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase, Mildred Anna Williams Collection
- Accession Number
- 1957.3