''Plum Brandy'', also known as ''The Plum'' (French: ''La Prune''), is an oil painting by

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Bor ...

. It is undated but thought to have been painted about 1877. The painting measures by . It depicts a woman seated alone at a table in a cafe, in a lethargic pose similar to that of the woman in Degas' '' L'Absinthe''. The woman may be a prostitute, but unlike the subject of Degas' work she appears more dreamy than depressed. She holds an unlit cigarette and her plum soaked in brandy appears untouched. ''Plum Brandy'' is exhibited in the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of ch ...

, Washington, D.C.

Analysis

The painting is a study in loneliness, depicting a quiet, almost melancholy, scene of a young working girl seated in a café. The subject is viewed from nearby, perhaps by another seated customer. She may be a prostitute waiting for a client, or possibly a shop worker hoping for some conversation. On the table is a plum soaked in brandy, a speciality of Parisian cafés at the time (originally painted as a glass of beer), which gives the painting its title. She leans forward, with her cheek resting on her right hand, and her right elbow on the marble tabletop, looking into the distance with a blank pensive look. Her left hand rests on the table holding an unlit cigarette. She wears a pink dress with embroidered cuffs, a white jabot, and a black hat trimmed with silk and lace. Her head is framed by the decorative grille behind her, above the red upholstered

banquette A banquette is a small footpath or elevated step along the inside of a rampart or parapet of a fortification. Musketeers atop it were able to view the counterscarp, or fire on enemies in the moat. A typical size is a foot and a half (approxima ...

on which she sits. Manet may have based the painting on observations at the

Café de la Nouvelle Athènes A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...

on the

Place Pigalle The Place Pigalle is a public square located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, between the Boulevard de Clichy and the Boulevard de Rochechouart, near Sacré-Cœur, at the foot of the Montmartre hill. Location and access The square is locate ...

in Paris. However, the background - the decorative grille and its gold frame - does not match other depictions of the café, and suggests the painting was made in Manet’s studio, where he is known to have had a café-style marble table on iron legs. Manet uses a simple style: for example, the plum in its glass and the fingers of the woman's left hand are created with just a few dabs of colour. The model is the actress

Ellen Andrée Ellen Andrée (born Hélène Marie André; 7 March 1856 – 9 December 1933 Marcellin Desboutin Marcellin Gilbert Desboutin (Cérilly, Allier, Cérilly 26 August 1823 – 18 February 1902 Nice) was a French painter, printmaking, printmaker, and writer. Desboutin always signed himself ''Baron de Rochefort.'' Biography Desboutin was b ...

in the similar 1876 painting '' L'Absinthe'' (or ''In a Café'') by

Edgar Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionism, Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, Printmaking, prints ...

. The similarities between the two paintings suggest that Manet's ''The Plum'' may be a response to Degas's ''L'Absinthe''. Degas's painting shows a bleak scene of despair blunted by

absinthe Absinthe (, ) is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of '' Artemisia absinthium'' ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Historica ...

; Manet's is a more hopeful scene, where there is the chance that the sitter's loneliness may be broken. Andrée also appears in

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionism, Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially femininity, feminine sensuality ...

's 1881 painting ''

Luncheon of the Boating Party ''Luncheon of the Boating Party'' french: Le Déjeuner des canotiers is an 1881 painting by French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Included in the Seventh Impressionist Exhibition in 1882, it was identified as the best painting in the show ...

''.

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realist painter and printmaker. While he is widely known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. Hopper created subdued drama ...

's 1927 painting ''

Automat An automat is a fast food restaurant where simple foods and drinks are served by vending machines. The world's first automat, Quisisana, opened in Berlin, Germany in 1895. By country Germany The first automat in the world was the Quisisan ...

'' has a similar theme.

History

Manet sold the painting to collector Charles Deudon in about 1881. It was inherited by Deudon's wife on his death in 1914 and sold before 1919. It came into the collection of Arthur Sachs (1880–1975), the son of Samuel Sachs and a partner in

Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, Ho ...

for many years. It was then sold by M. Knoedler & Co to

Paul Mellon Paul Mellon (June 11, 1907 – February 1, 1999) was an American philanthropist and an owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall ...

in 1961, who donated it to the

in Washington DC in 1971.

Gallery

Edgar Degas - In a Café - Google Art Project 2.jpg, Degas, ''In a Café'' or ''L'Absinthe'', 1876? Auguste Renoir - Luncheon of the Boating Party 1880-1881.jpg, Auguste Renoir. ''Luncheon of the Boating Party'', 1881

Notes

References

''Plum Brandy''
narratives, National Gallery of Art
''Manet, Monet, and the Gare Saint-Lazare''

Juliet Wilson-Bareau Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist ...

, p. 181.
''Impressionism: Art, Leisure, and Parisian Society''
Professor Robert L. Herbert, et al.
''Reconfiguring Modernism: Explorations in the Relationship between Modern Art and Modern Literature''
Daniel R. Schwarz, p. 61.
''Manet Manette''
Carol Armstrong pp. 244-245. {{DEFAULTSORT:Plum Paintings by Édouard Manet 1877 paintings Collections of the National Gallery of Art Food and drink paintings