Fishing

Edouard Manet’s painting, Fishing, is an in-depth piece that showcases the artists detail oriented technique progressing into impressionism.

The oil on canvas painting was painted in 1863 in Paris, France. The painter Peter Paul Rubens inspired the painting, as Manet incorporated different textures and styles from his work. The piece was not based on a model Manet structured, however used his imagination to invasion his idea. At the bottom right of the painting Fishing is placed a man and woman looking over their shoulder into the water. The woman is dressed in a dark blue dress, accompanied by a black coat onto the floor, accentuated by white details within her sleeves and shoulders.

The woman accessorizes with a top hat engulfed within grey tones. On her right stands a tall man, in a Victorian styled outfit with a red top, accompanied by details in gold and white. The man has a blonde hair and a blonde beard, with his arms behind his back whereas the woman holds them at the front. This man and woman within the painting are Edouard Manet and his wife Suzanne. Their seventieth-century customs were inspired by Rubens' work. Prior to the creation of the painting, Manet had concealed with relationship with Suzanne from his father, however he had died in September of 1862. Many art critics suggest that Fishing, painted in 1863, was a wedding portrait to illustrate the marriage between Manet and his wife in October 1863.

The impressionism style of painting is showcased through different elements within the piece. As the painting is set in nature, there is an array of greenery within the background. The Manet couple look over their shoulders onto the water, covered in a dark turquoise azure colour. Next to the couples stands a dark brown dog, overlooking into the water. Upon the water lies a fishing boat, with three men within, as one sits on the boat, the other pulls the net and the other spears for fish. The water seems to be a river the creates a divide within the painting.

On the opposite side on the river lies an open light green meadow, where a young boy sits with a long stick, suggesting a fishing rod. The vegetation around the painting offers a thick forest, with lush greenery. Manet in detail illuminated the sky through an array of grey clouds that darken the atmosphere. The gloomy feel of the painting is achieved through the dark tones of green and blue. However within the sky behind the clouds, lies a grey rainbow with spots of grass highlighted by sunlight peaking out of the clouds.