Manet to Bracquemond

About this book

"This new edition publishes the letters addressed by Édouard Manet (1832-1883) to his friend, the artist Félix Bracquemond (1833-1914). The correspondence, for the most part unknown, surfaced at a sale in Paris in June 2016 and was acquired the next year by the Fondation Custodia with the generous help of Jean-Luc Baroni. It is edited here for the first time by Jean-Paul Bouillon, whose lifelong occupation with Bracquemond's life and work has enabled him to situate the mostly undated letters accurately and discuss their contents in the context of both artist's careers. The letters are presented in their original French language, accompanied by meticulous comments on their dating and subject matter, whereas illustrations reproduce most of the works alluded to in the texts. They are preceded by a comprehensive introduction on the friendship between the two men which highlights the principal subjects and themes around which the correspondence revolves over the years. Bracquemond and Manet probably met around 1860, at a time when Manet was beginning to take an interest in the potential of printmaking for disseminating his work. Both were among the founders of the Société des Aquafortistes in 1862 and in these years Manet must have relied heavily on Bracquemond, the outstanding engraver of his generation, for his first attempts in this career."--Publisher's description.