The Bohemian

Édouard Manet
France, Paris
1861–1862 (cut out in 1867)
Oil on canvas
Louvre Abu Dhabi

These three works bear witness to a pictorial revolution started by the French painter Édouard Manet in the 1860s. Originally, Manet painted a large painting called The Gypsies, but he later cut it into three separate works. Whereas the original painting was inspired by the narrative tradition, the two new works seen here – a still life and a portrait – bring the viewer into a direct relationship with the subject represented. This radical departure marked a decisive moment in the history of art, which at this very point tipped into modernity.