The Dead Toreador

probably 1864

Edouard Manet

Artist, French, 1832 - 1883

From a low perspective, we look at a man wearing black and white, lying on the ground with a pink flag beside him in this long, horizontal painting. We look onto the top of his head and his feet reach into the upper left corner of the composition, so he nearly fills the painting. His dark hair is cut short and gleams softly in the light from the upper left. His head has fallen toward his left shoulder, and his eyes are closed. He wears a black jacket and knee-length black pants. His jacket falls open to show white lining, and he wears a wide, white cummerbund and white stockings. His black, loafer-style shoes have pointed toes and possibly a bow at the bridge of each foot. He man’s right hand, farther from us, rests on his chest, and a black-handled sword or dagger is tucked into that elbow. That hand and his white tie are speckled with red blood. More blood seeps on the peanut-brown floor near the man’s left shoulder, closest to us. The man wears a gold ring on the pinky ring of his left hand, which lies along the ground and rests on or near the pale pink flag, which continues off the bottom left corner of the painting. The brown ground is lighter along the bottom of the painting and deepens to peat brown farther back, along the top edge. Brushstrokes are visible in some areas, especially in the white parts of the costume and the flag. The artist signed the painting in the lower right, “Manet.”

Media Options

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On View

West Building Main Floor, Gallery 90


Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 75.9 × 153.3 cm (29 7/8 × 60 3/8 in.)
    framed: 104.4 × 181.93 × 10.16 cm (41 1/8 × 71 5/8 × 4 in.)

  • Accession

    1942.9.40


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

From the artist in 1872 to (Durand-Ruel, Paris); sold 1874 to Jean-Baptiste Faure [1830-1914], Paris; sold 1892 back to (Durand-Ruel, Paris); sold to (Cottier & Co., New York); sold 1894 to Peter A.B. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; inheritance from Estate of Peter A.B. Widener by gift through power of appointment of Joseph E. Widener, Elkins Park; gift 1942 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1864

  • Salon of 1864, Paris, no. 1282

1865

  • Galerie Martinet, Paris, February 1865, no. 2.

1867

  • Tableaux de Edouard Manet, Avenue de l'Alma, Paris, 1867, no. 5 as L'Homme mort.

1868

  • Exposition maritime internationale, Le Havre, 1868

1869

  • Exposition de la Société des Amis des Arts de Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon, 1869.

1884

  • Exposition Manet, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1884, no. 24

1889

  • Exposition Universelle, Paris, 1889, no. 488

1893

  • World's Columbian Exposition, Department of Fine Arts, Chicago, 1893, no. 3057.

1932

  • Exposition Manet, Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris, 1932, no. 19

1950

  • Diamond Jubilee Exhibition: Masterpieces of Painting, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1950-1951, no. 69, repro.

1966

  • Edouard Manet, 1832-1883, Philadelphia Museum of Art; The Art Institute of Chicago, 1966-1967, no. 59, repro. (Philadelphia only)

1982

  • Manet and Modern Paris, National Gallery of Art, 1982-1983, no. 77, repro.

1983

  • Manet, Grand Palais, Paris; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1983, no. 73

1985

  • Manet, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 1985, no. 61, repro.

1986

  • Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, State Hermitage Museum, Leningrad; State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, 1986, no. 12, repro.

1987

  • Triumph und Tod des Helden, Wallraf-Richartz-Museums, Cologne; Kunsthaus, Zurich; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon, 1987-1988, no. 45, repro.

1989

  • Manet, Ordrupgaardsamlingen, Copenhagen, 1989, no. 11, repro.

1992

  • Edouard Manet: The Execution of Maximilian, National Gallery, London, 1992, no. 26, fig. 31.

  • Edouard Manet: Augenblicke der Geschichte, Städtischen Kunsthalle Mannheim, Germany, 1992-1993, no. 4, repro.

1999

  • Manet's 'The Dead Toreador' and 'The Bullfight': Fragments of a Lost Salon Painting Reunited, The Frick Collection, New York, 1999, pl. 1.

2001

  • Manet/Velázquez, La manière espagnole au XIXe siècle [Manet/Velázquez, The French Taste for Spanish Painting], Musée d'Orsay, Paris; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2002-2003, no. 84, fig. 104 (Paris cat.), no. 141, fig. 9.49 (New York cat.).

2003

  • Manet en el Prado, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, 2003-2004, no. 60, repro.

2006

  • Manet and the Execution of Maximilian, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2006-2007, unnumbered catalogue, fig. 15.

2010

  • Manet et le Paris moderne, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo, 2010, no. I-7, repro.

  • Loan for display with permanent collection, Worcester Art Museum, 2010-2011.

2011

  • Manet, inventeur du Moderne [Manet: The Man Who Invented Modernity], Musée d'Orsay, Paris, 2011, no. 89, figs. 19 and 139.

2014

  • Manet, Cezanne, Van Gogh - aus aller Welt zu Gast, Städtische Kunsthalle Mannheim, 2014-2015, unnumbered catalogue, repro.

Bibliography

1864

  • About, Edmond. Salon de 1864. Paris, 1864:156

  • Cham, pseud. "Croquis." Le Charivari (22 May 1864)

  • Leroy, Louis. "Salon de 1864." Le Charivari (25 May 1864)

  • Burger, W., pseud. "Charles Baudelaire et les coincidences mysterieuses." L'Indépendance belge (26 June 1864)

  • Burger, W., pseud. "Le Salon de 1864 à Paris." L'Indépendance belge (15 June 1864)

  • Callias, Hector de. "Le Salon de 1864." L'Artiste (1 June 1864):242

  • Gauthier, Théophile. "Salon de 1864, 8e article." Le moniteur universel. (25 June 1864):87

  • Navary, Raoul de, pseud. "Salon de 1864." Gazette des Etrangers (7 June 1864)

  • Pays, Augustin Joseph du. "Salon de 1864." L'Illustration (16 July 1864)

1867

  • Spuller, Eugène. "Edouard Manet et sa peinture." Le Naine jaune (9 June 1867)

  • Zola, Emile. "Une nouvelle manière en peinture--Edouard Manet." Revue du XIXe Siècle (1 January 1867):34

  • Chronique des Arts et de la Curiosité no. 187 (2 June 1867): 174.

1873

  • Silvestre, Paul Armand. Galerie Durand-Ruel. Paris, London and Brussels, 1873:24

1883

  • Chennevières-Pointel, Philippe, marquis de. Souvenirs d'un Directeur des Beaux-Arts. 5 vols. Paris, 1883-1889:I:40.

1884

  • Bazire, Edmond. Manet. Paris, 1884: 40-42, 71, 114

  • Gonse, Louis. "Manet." Gazette des Beaux-Arts 29 (February 1884):140

  • Péladon, Joséphin. "Le procédé de Manet d'après l'Exposition faire à l'Ecole des Beaux-arts." L'Artiste 1 1(February 1884): 109

1889

  • "Au Palais de Beaux-Arts." Le Moderniste illustré (27 July 1889): 108-109.

1897

  • Proust, Antonin. "Edouard Manet inédit." La revue blanche (15 February 1897):174

1902

  • Duret, Théodore. Histoire d'Edouard Manet et de son oeuvre.Paris, 1902: no. 51.

1904

  • Mayclair, Camille.L'Impressionisme, son histoire, son esthétique, ses maîtres. Paris, 1904:52, repro. 35.

1908

  • "P.A.B. Widener Collection, February 1st, 1908." Typescript, 2 vols., Library, National Gallery of Art, 1908: 73, repro.

1910

  • Waldmann, Emil. "Französische Bilder in Amerikanische Privatbesitz." Kunst und Künstler 9 (December 1910): 134,136-137.

  • Duret, Théodore. Manet and the French Impressionists. Translated by J.E. Crawford Flitch. London and Philadelphia, 1910: 23, 203, 217-218, no. 51.

  • Wladmann, Emil. "Edouard Manet in der Sammlung Pellerin." Kunst und Künstler 8 (May 1910): 388n.

1912

  • Meier-Graefe, Julius. Edouard Manet. Munich, 1912: 61, 66, 310

  • Hourticq, Louis, Jean Laran and Georges Le Bas. French Artists of Our Day: Edouard Manet. Philadelphia and London, 1912:19-20, repro.

1913

  • Proust, Antonin. Edouard Manet. Paris, 1913: 47.

1915

  • Roberts, William. Pictures in the Collection of P.A.B. Widener at Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania: British and Modern French Schools, Philadelphia, 1915: unpaginated, repro.

1919

  • Duret, Théodore. Histoire de Edouard Manet et de son oeuvre. Paris, 1919: no. 51.

1922

  • Jean-Aubry, Georges. Eugène Boudin, d'après des documents inédits, l'homme et l'oeuvre. Paris, 1922:68-69

1923

  • Paintings in the Collection of Joseph Widener at Lynnewood Hall. Intro. by Wilhelm R. Valentiner. Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, 1923: unpaginated, repro.

1925

  • Rosenthal, Leon. "Manet et l'Espagne." Gazette des Beaux-Arts 5e period, XII (September - October 1925): :205-206, 208, 120, 212

1926

  • Moreau-Nélaton, Etienne. Manet, raconté par lui-même. 2 vols. Paris, 1926: I:56-59, 62, 65-66, 110, 132-133; II:108-109.

1930

  • Cortissoz, Royal. The Painter's Craft. New York and London, 1930: 221

1931

  • Paintings in the Collection of Joseph Widener at Lynnewood Hall. Intro. by Wilhelm R. Valentiner. Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, 1931: 168, repro.

  • Tabarant, Adolphe. Manet: histoire catalographique. Paris, 1931: no. 73.

1932

  • Colin, Paul. Edouard Manet. Paris, 1932:24

  • La Revue de l'Art 62 no. 338 (July-September 1932): 266, repro.

  • Bouyer, Raymond. "Les expositions." Le Bulletin de l'Art ancien et modern. (July-September 1932): 266

  • Jamot, Paul, and Georges Wildenstein. Manet. 2 vols. Paris, 1932: 1:27, 78-79, 89, 126-127, no. 83.

  • Rich, Daniel Catton. "The Spanish Backgroud for Manet's Early Work." Parnassus 4 (February 1932):1-5

  • Bazin, Germaine. "Manet et la tradition." L'Amour de l'Art 13, no. 5 (May 1932): 156, 162.

  • Huyghe, Rene. "Manet, peintre." L'Amour de l'Art 13, no. 5 (May 1932):171, 179.

1933

  • Lambert, Elie. "Manet et l'Espagne." Gazette des Beaux-Arts 9 (June 1933):374, 376, 379-380

1935

  • Tietze, Hans. Meisterwerke europäischer Malerei in Amerika. Vienna, 1935: 286, repro. (English ed., Masterpieces of European Painting in America. New York, 1939: 286, repro.).

1936

  • Tietze, Hans. "Manet and a So-Called Velazquez." The Burlington Magazine 69 (August 1936): 74, 85, repro.

1938

  • Rey, Robert. Manet. New York and Paris, 1938:119

  • Waldmann, Emil. "Die Sammlung Widener." Pantheon 22 (November 1938): 335, repro.

  • Brimo, René. L'évolution du goût aux Etats-Unis d'après l'histoire des collections. Paris, 1938: 117

1939

  • Venturi, Lionello. Les archives de l'impressionnisme. 2 vols. Paris and New York, 1939: II: 189-190

  • Tietze, Hans. Masterpieces of European Painting in America. New York, 1939: 328, repro.

1940

  • J.W. "The Widener Gift." Magazine of Art 33 (November 1940):606-609

  • Widener, Peter A.B. Without Drums. New York. 1940: 60.

1941

  • Whitehill, Virginia N. Stepping Stones in Nineteenth Century Painting. New York, 1941:27

  • Jedlicka, Gotthard. Edouard Manet. Erlenbach and Zurich, 1941:234.

1942

  • The Sunday Star, Washington (6 September 1942): 3, repro.

  • Tabarant, Adolphe. La vie artistique au temps de Baudelaire. Paris,1942:393

  • "Changes at the Frick." The New York Times (9 August 1942): 6X.

1946

  • Huth, Hans. "Impressionism Comes to America." Gazette des Beaux-Arts 29 (April 1946):246

1947

  • Baudelaire, Charles. Correspondance générale. 4 vols, Jacques Crepet, ed. Paris, 1947-1953:226-228, 249-250, 275-278

  • Tabarant, Adolphe. Manet et ses oeuvres. Paris, 1947:82-87, 195, 491, 512, 605

  • Florisoone, Michel. Manet. Monaco, 1947:XX, 24, 122

1948

  • Bex, Maurice. Manet. Columbia series New York, 1948: 10, 21, pl.11

  • Paintings and Sculpture from the Widener Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1948 (reprinted 1959): 105, repro.

1951

  • Sloane, Joseph C. "Manet and History." The Art Quarterly 14 (Summer 1951): 103

  • Sloane, Joseph C. French Painting between the Past and the Present. Princeton, 1951: 194, repro. pl. 66 [Reprint 1973]

1952

  • Babelon, Jean. "La España de Manet y el Manet de España." Clavileño: Revista de la Associación Internacional de Hispanismo 3 (1952):19-20

  • Cairns, Huntington, and John Walker, eds., Great Paintings from the National Gallery of Art. New York, 1952: 152, color repro.

1953

  • Crepet, Jacques, ed. Baudelaire: Correspondance generale IV (nov. 1861-1864). Paris, 1953: 227-228, 249

1954

  • Hamilton, George Heard. Manet and His Critics. New Haven, 1954:32-34, 52-64, 65, 69, 97-98, 118, 155, 157, 161, 264, repro. pl. 8-9

  • Sandblad, Nils Gösta. Manet: Three Studies in Artistic Conception. Lund, 1954:150, 155, 156

1955

  • Vaudoyer, Jean-Louis. E. Manet. Paris, 1955: no. 15

  • Bataille, Georges. Manet. Translated by Austryn Wainhouse and James Emmons. Lausanne, 1955: 14.

1956

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York, 1956: 52, repro.

1958

  • Richardson, John. Edouard Manet: Paintings and Drawings. London, 1958: no. 23, repro.

1959

  • Hemmings, F.W.J. and Niess, Roberts, eds. Emile Zola: Salons. Geneva, 1959: 96, 258

  • National Gallery of Art. Paintings and Sculpture from the Widener Collection. Reprint. Washington, DC, 1959: 105, repro.

1960

  • Lethève, Jacques. "Impressionists ad Symbolists and Journalists." Art News Annual 2 (1960):44

1963

  • Lowry, Bates. Muse or Ego: Salon and Independent Artisits of the 1880s. Claremont, 1963: 33

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. New York, 1963 (reprinted 1964 in French, German, and Spanish): 323, repro.

1965

  • Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 81.

1966

  • Hanson, Anne Coffin. Edouard Manet 1832-1883. Exh. cat. Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1966:13, 78-81, no. 59

  • Hudson, Andrew. "Viewpoint on Art." The Washington Post (25 September 1966)

  • Cairns, Huntington, and John Walker, eds. A Pageant of Painting from the National Gallery of Art. 2 vols. New York, 1966: 2:424, color repro.

  • Hamilton, George Heard. "Is Manet Still Modern?" Art News Annual 31 (1966):107, 118, 160.

1967

  • Ackerman, Gerald M. "Gerôme and Manet." Gazette des Beaux-Arts 70 (September 1967:163-176

  • Schmierer, Martha and Richard Verdi. "Thoughts Arising from the Philadelphia-Chicago Manet Exhibition." The Art Quarterly 30 (Fall-Winter 1967):240, 251

1968

  • Liebmann, Kurt. Edouard Manet. Dresden, 1968:15, pl. 13

  • Schneider, Pierre. The World of Manet, 1832-1883. New York, 1968:32-33, 60

  • National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 71, repro.

  • Jean-Aubry, Georges, with Robert Schmit. Eugène Boudin. Paris, 1968: 68.

  • The Frick Collection: An Illustrated Catalogue, vol. 2, Paintings, French, Italian and Spanish. New York, 1968:154.

1969

  • Farwell, Beatrice. "Manet's Espada and Marcantonio." Metropolitan Museum of Art Journal 2 (1969):199

  • Fried, Michael. "Manet's Sources, Aspects of his Art, 1859-1865." Artforum 7 (March 1969):56, 66, 67

  • Isaacson, Joel. Manet and Spain. Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1969:36

  • Reff. Theodore. "'Manet's Sources': A Critical Evaluation." Artforum 8 (September 1969):42

  • Spencer, Michael Clifford. The Art Criticism of Théophile Gaultier. Geneva, 1969:67

1970

  • Hanson, Anne Coffin. "Edouard Manet, 'Les Citanos,' and the Cut Canvas."The Burlington Magazine 112 (March 1970): 158-162.

  • Orienti, Sandra and Denis Rouart. Edouard Manet. Paris, 1970:64

  • Orienti, Sandra. The Complete Paintings of Manet. London, 1970:93

1971

  • Nochlin, Linda. Realism. Baltimore, 1971:64, 253

  • Gállego, Julian. "Goya en el arte moderno." Goya (January-February 1971):256

1972

  • Bazin, Germain. Edouard Manet. Milan, 1972:8, 19, 22, 24, 42, 89

1973

  • Meyer, Ruth K. "Jean Léon Gerôme; The Role of Subject Matter and the Importance of Formalized Composition." Arts Magazine 47 (February 1973):33-34

  • Finley, David Edward. A Standard of Excellence: Andrew W. Mellon Founds the National Gallery of Art at Washington. Washington, 1973: 93.

1974

  • Callen, Anthea. "Faure and Manet." Gazette des Beaux-Arts 83 (March 1974): 163, 171.

1975

  • Rouart, Denis and Daniel Wildenstein. Edouard Manet, catalogue raisonné 2 vols. Lausanne and Paris, 1975:I:80-1, no. 72

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 208, repro.

  • Mauner, George. Manet: Peintre-Philosophe; A Study of the Painter's Themes. University Park, PA, and London, 1975:111, 138-141, 144, 147

1976

  • Greenwood, Michael. "Towards a Definition of Realism." Artscanada 33 (December 1976-January 1977):9-10

  • Reff, Theodore. "Review of Eduard Manet, Catalogue raisonné by Denis Rouart and Daniel Wildenstein," Art Bulletin (1976): 636.

1977

  • Hanson, Anne Coffin. Manet and the Modern Tradition. New Haven and London, 1977:82,85,119,156,169-170,204, repro. 55

  • Reff, Theodore. Manet: Olympia. New York, 1977:45

1978

  • King, Marian. Adventures in Art: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. New York, 1978: 84, pl. 51.

  • Berhaut, Marie. Caillebotte, sa vie et son oeuvre. Catalogue raisonne des peintures et pastels. Paris, 1978: 34.

  • Takás, Marianne H. "Deux paintres espagnols ayant servi de modèles a Manet." Acta Historiae Artium 24 no. 1-4 (1978): 397+, repro.

1980

  • Kelder, Diane. The Great Book of French Impressionism. New York, 1980: 70, 71, repro.

1981

  • Farwell, Beatrice. "Manet and the Nude: A Study in Iconography in the Second Empire." Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles, 1973. New York, 1981:171-172, 205-206, 293-294, 325.

1982

  • Ross, Novelene. Manet's 'Bar at the Folies-Bergère' and the Myths of Popular Illustration. Ann Arbor, 1982:8

1983

  • Stuckey, Charles F. "Manet Revised: Whodunit?" Art in America 71 (November 1983): repro. 163.

1984

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 449, no. 647, color repro.

1985

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 242, repro.

1991

  • Darragon, Eric. Manet. Paris, 1991:137, repro.

  • Kopper, Philip. America's National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation. New York, 1991: 197, 198, color repro.

  • Wilson-Bareau, Juliet, ed. Manet by Himself: Paintings, Pastels, Prints & Drawings. London, 1991: no. 72, repro.

1992

  • Stevenson, Lesley. Manet. New York, 1992: 66-67, repro.

  • Carr-Gomm, Sarah. Manet. London, 1992: 68, repro.

  • Wilson-Bareau, Juliet. Manet, The Execution of Maximilian: Painting, Politics and Censorship. London, 1992: 41-44, repro.

1993

  • Perutz, Vivien. Edouard Manet. London and Toronto, 1993: repro. 75.

1994

  • Lemaire, Gerard-Georges. Manet. Milan, 1994: 34, repro.

  • Rubin, James H. Manet's Silence and the Poetics of Bouquets. Cambridge, 1994: repro. no. 46

1996

  • Körner, Hans. Edouard Manet: Dandy, Flaneur, Maler. Munich, 1996: 85, 88, 228, color fig. 68.

1997

  • Paris-Bruxelles; Bruxelles-Paris. Exh. cat. Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Paris; musée des Beaux-Arts, Gand, 1997:10

  • Fernandez, Dominique and Ferrante Ferranti. Le Musée d'Émile Zola :haines et passion, 1997, p. 91, repro.

  • Kelder, Diane. The Great Book of French Impressionism. New York, 1997: no. 78, repro.

1998

  • Galligan, Gregory. "The Self Pictured: Manet, the Mirror, and the Occupation of Realist Painting." Art Bulletin 80, no. 1 (March 1993): 160-161, repro.

  • Shefer, Elain. "Death." In Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography, edited by Helene E. Roberts. 2 vols. Chicago, 1998: 1:232.

  • Zuffi, Stefano and Francesca Castira. La peinture moderne des impressionnistes aux avant-gardes. Paris, 1998: repro. 103.

1999

  • Daumier. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, The Phillips Collection, Washington, 1999-2000:178, repro.

2008

  • Locke, Nancy. "Manet Exhibits in Lyon in 1869." The Burlington Magazine 150 no. 1262 (May 2008): 323, color fig. 32.

2013

  • Pludermacher, Isolde. "La Sociéte des amis des arts." In Le Cercle de l'art moderne. Exh. cat. Musée du Luxembourg, Paris, 2013: 33, repro.

Inscriptions

lower right: Manet

Wikidata ID

Q3203711


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