In the company of others: Manet's personal opinions of marriage translated to the canvas.

摘要

In this paper I assert that Manet's paintings make manifest his silent attitudes towards marriage. In his depictions of married couples, Manet's technical use of a strong line of division separating his figures, and his frequent placement of the male and female figures on two different pictorial planes increases their individuality, while constraining them with the "bond" of marriage. In strong contrast, Manet's paintings of unmarried male and female interaction give the illusion of greater intimacy and companionship than those of their married counterparts. These divergent views were never ultimately rectified by Manet on his canvases or in his life. His conflicting feelings are apparent through his depictions of marriage on canvas, and the observations of his fellow artist on Manet's own marriage and romantic liaisons also shed light on this struggle.