| Introduction |
| Modern Paris |
| Artistic Strategies |
| Context |
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Manet made drawings of the location out-of-doors, but probably executed his painting in a studio on the rue de Saint-Pétersbourg. The composition and execution he devised were the target of much debate, catching the ire of traditionalists and the admiration of the avant-garde.
Manet's informal arrangement of the painting suggests a momentary experience: one figure meets the spectator's glance while the other is unaware of our presence. It is an elusive moment of contact.
