''A Studio at Les Batignolles (''

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: ''Un Atelier aux Batignolles)'' is an oil-on-canvas painting by French

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

painter and lithographer

Henri Fantin-Latour Henri Fantin-Latour (; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers. Early life Born in Grenoble, Isère, Ignace Henri Jean Th� ...

, created in 1870. It depicts the

Batignolles Group The ''Batignolles group'' (Le groupe des Batignolles) was a group of young avant-garde painters from the end of the 19th century who gathered around Édouard Manet. The group bears its name in reference to the Batignolles district, where the arti ...

at the studio of

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French Modernism, 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 (art movement), R ...

in the

Batignolles Batignolles () is a neighbourhood of Paris, part of its 17th arrondissement. The neighbourhood is bounded on the south by the Boulevard des Batignolles, on the east by the Avenue de Clichy, on the north by Rue Cardinet and on the west by the Ru ...

Quarter. The painting was exhibited at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

in Paris in 1870. ''A Studio at Les Batignolles'' is the companion piece to a work created six years earlier by Fantin-Latour, '' Homage to Delacroix'', which was done as a tribute to the Romantic painter who had died a year earlier. The two paintings are meant to represent friendship and partisanship among the painters. In contrast to the earlier work, the leading figure in ''A Studio'' is Édouard Manet. The work was acquired by the

Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) () is a museum in Paris, France, on the Rive Gauche, Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts railway station built from 1898 to 1900. The museum holds mai ...

in 1986, and it remains there today.

Background

The Batignolles Group

The Batignolles Quarter was a district of Paris that served as the center for artistic activity where several artists located their studios. The Batignolles Group, also referred to as the "École des Batignolles" by critic Edmond Duranty in his 1869 review of the Salon, consisted of artists who gathered with Manet at the famed

Café Guerbois Café Guerbois, on Avenue de Clichy in Paris, was the site of late 19th-century discussions and planning amongst artists, writers and art lovers – the '' bohèmes'' (bohemians), in contrast to the ''bourgeois''. Centered on Édouard Ma ...

, north of the

Place de Clichy The Place de Clichy (), also known as "Place Clichy", is situated in the northwestern quadrant of Paris. It is formed by the intersection of the Boulevard de Clichy, the Avenue Clichy, the Rue Clichy, the Boulevard des Batignolles, and the ...

in the neighborhood. Their friendship was based on mutual material assistance and shared work, and Fantin-Latour's picture is renowned as a representation of artistic camaraderie and community. Fantin-Latour was fully aware that these men were not a single "school," but rather a constantly changing web of loose artistic ties and allegiances. Another painting created that same year by Bazille, '' Bazille's Studio,'' portrays the same group gathered in the artist's studio; both paintings stand as the visual manifestos of the group.

Fantin-Latour

Fantin-Latour befriended several members of the Batignolles Group throughout his life. Some, he met while studying, such as Manet at the Louvre in 1857, while others he met through mutual friends. He became a pupil of

Courbet Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet ( ; ; ; 10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19th-century French painting. Committed to painting only what he could see, he rejected academic convention and the ...

in 1861, and in 1862 he became acquainted with Renoir, Monet, and Bazille at the studio of

Charles Gleyre Marc Gabriel Charles Gleyre (2 May 1806 – 5 May 1874), was a Swiss artist who was a resident in France from an early age. He took over the studio of Paul Delaroche in 1843 and taught a number of younger artists who became prominent, including He ...

. His relationship with the Impressionists was intimate, even exhibiting alongside them at the

Salon des Refusés The Salon des Refusés, French for "exhibition of rejects" (), is generally known as an exhibition of works rejected by the jury of the official Paris Salon, but the term is most famously used to refer to the Salon des Refusés of 1863. Today, ...

in 1863. However, this was the only time he exhibited with the group; he declined to participate in the first Impressionist exhibition in Nadar's Studio in 1874, though he remained close to the artists.

Description

The painting shows

capturing the likeness of

Zacharie Astruc Zacharie Astruc (23 February 1833 in Angers – 24 May 1907 in Paris) was a French sculptor, painter, poet, and art critic. Biography Astruc was an important figure in the cultural life of France in the second half of the 19th century, and pa ...

, a well-known artist, critic, and close friend of Manet’s who defended him during the scandal surrounding his work '' Olympia''. Standing behind the two men are German artist

Otto Scholderer Otto Franz Scholderer (25 January 1834 – 22 January 1902) was a German painter. Life He was born in Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main. On completing his schooling, Scholderer went to the Städel academy of arts in 1849, where he remained until ...

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

, writer

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, ; ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of Naturalism (literature), naturalism, and an important contributor to ...

(the bearded figure pictured with his eyeglasses in his hand),

Edmond Maître Edmond Maître (April 23, 1840 – May 29, 1898) was a French writer, musician, and art collector, best known for his support and association with the Impressionists and his close friendship with Frédéric Bazille and Pierre-Auguste Renoir ...

(patron of the artists),

Frédéric Bazille Jean Frédéric Bazille (; December 6, 1841 – November 28, 1870) was a French Impressionist painter. Many of Bazille's major works are examples of figure painting in which he placed the subject figure within a landscape painted '' en plein ai ...

, and

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...

, who is somewhat hidden behind the other figures. Fantin-Latour carefully selected key figures from Manet’s circle at

, especially those whom he considered to be notably influential in French art. The painting suggests that they are exchanging observations and convictions regarding artistic matters, further emphasizing the bonds between the artists. The composition of the work reveals much of Fantin-Latour's intent; Manet's central position in the room, and the deferential position of the other figures relative to him, signals that Manet played a key role in the École des Batignolles. This intention is further expressed in the intensity with which Renoir, whose head is encased by an empty frame, gazes toward Manet, whose face is strongly illuminated. The rest of the visitors are situated from the center to the right of the painting. Zola is positioned and turned away from Manet, assuming the role of his interpreter and mediator. Maître, Renoir, and Scholderer represent the interconnectedness between the artists. Monet's position on the far right highlights the fragile cohesion between schools of art shared by the painters present. On the left side of the painting, Fantin-Latour depicts a statuette of

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarde ...

, a Japanese-style ceramic pot, and a multicolor lacquered tray placed orderly on a rich, red cloth. A fragment of a portrait is visible above them. These items demonstrate the aesthetic preferences of Fantin-Latour and those close to him. The statuette is representative of admiration and respect for antique tradition, and although the pot's design appears to be Japanese, it was actually created by French artist Laurent Bouvier, a former member of the Café Guerbois group and a friend of both Fantin-Latour and Manet. Nevertheless, the lacquered tray does seem to be a '' Japoniste'' object, evocative of the Impressionists' infatuation with Japanese art. The composition, style of brushstroke, and dark tones chosen by Fantin-Latour give this painting characteristics of traditional

Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...

portraits and seventeenth-century French realism, diverging from the movement that this group would later embody, Impressionism.

Composition and creation

Fantin-Latour achieved his first major public success with this work, which is also notable for being his first piece to have a title highlighting the space depicted rather than a specific figure or action. Additionally, it is his first group portrait in which he does not portray himself. Before the actual creation of the painting, Fantin-Latour spent over five years producing myriad preliminary sketches and studies in an array of media, including black charcoal, graphite on paper, and oil. In these sketches, Fantin-Latour explored several different angles, subjects, accessories, gestures, intentions, and moods. Some sketches, such as one from October 29, 1865, illustrate a lively, rowdy scenario where the studio's collective spirit is caught at a "fever pitch". A more relaxed, informal, and personal concept of studio sociability is developed in later drawings. The final painting, however, shows a somber, solemn group that is reminiscent of Dutch seventeenth-century group portraits, which is an attribute that he likely inherited from his time in apprenticeship under Courbet. The impact of his devotion toward Dutch Masters can be seen in several of his works, including “the quiet calm of his compositions, in his love for interior scenes of homely simplicity, and especially in his acute power of observation and his ability to render that power with overwhelming clarity”. The final work reveals how his conception of the project evolved. The changes also correspond to shifts in the Parisian art world of 1869-70. The area of the work that received the majority of the changes between the sketches and the final piece was the left section, directly to the left of Manet's easel. In a charcoal preparatory study, a figure with a top hat enters the scene from the left, presumably as a latecomer. Many assume this figure was Edgard Degas, though it is unclear. In a later oil sketch, the anonymous figure is joined by a mysterious woman who appears to be sketching in a notebook. However, both subjects were ultimately discarded and excluded from the ultimate piece and replaced by a statuette of Athena, a Japanese-style stoneware vase, and a decorative tray.

References

External links

''A Studio at Les Batignolles''
at the

{{DEFAULTSORT:Studio at Les Batignolles, A Paintings in the Musée d'Orsay Paintings by Henri Fantin-Latour 1870 paintings Group portraits by French artists Paintings about painting Cultural depictions of Claude Monet Cultural depictions of Pierre-Auguste Renoir Cultural depictions of Édouard Manet Oil on canvas paintings