5334 - Manet, Edouard

Manet, Edouard The Barricade (Scene from the Paris Commune). Lithograph on rolled China paper. 46.3 x 33.4 cm. (1871). Guérin 76 II (with letter cover), Harris 71 II. “One must belong to one’s time and do what one sees.” Following the end of the Franco-Prussian War and the siege of Paris, severe political unrest broke out in the city. In March 1871, a Parisian city council—the so-called Paris Commune—was established; its violent suppression by government troops culminated after about two months in what became known as the “Week of Blood.” Numerous defenders of the Commune were captured and shot at the barricades. Here, Édouard Manet documents the violent suppression of the Paris Commune. The group of soldiers lined up facing forward, with their backs to the viewer, carries out the execution with striking detachment and objectivity. In the artistic rendering, however, the depiction of the weapons remains merely suggestive. The medium of lithography allows the artist to employ a wide range of tonal values, from the rich, deep black of the soldiers and parts of the barricades to the light and delicately applied strokes used for the Parisian cityscape. The composition reflects Manet’s critical engagement with state violence and the systematic suppression of the Commune. As early as 1867, the artist had already addressed the theme of political execution in his paintings “The Execution of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico.” A magnificent print of the final state. One of the few copies on which Lemerciers’ address—as described by Guérin—was concealed for printing using a “cache-lettre.” Slightly stained; the vellum is generally slightly browned and yellowed; the edges are slightly discolored around the mat cutout; isolated, minor signs of wear; otherwise, in very good overall condition. Rare. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.