Young Girl on a Bench (Fillette sur un banc)

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

The young girl depicted in this portrait was the daughter of one of Manet's acquaintances in the Parisian suburb of Bellevue. Manet, who was suffering from syphilis, had retreated to this countryside town in the summer of 1880 to take a rest cure. This loosely brushed work is unfinished, though the exposed ground is deliberately employed in some areas, particularly around the eyes and nose, as a highlight. The larger, first version of this composition shows the young girl seated on a slatted green bench, which is no longer present in the Barnes version.

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