Manet and Monet

Edouard Manet, the Rue Mosnier with Flags 1878 oil on canvas

Manet's The Rue Monsier with Flags was painted in 1878 during the festival on the 30^th of June. Manet's version of the festival shows a much quieter picture then what Monet had painted that same day. In Manet's painting we see a small street brightly lit by the sun. The buildings along the street reflect the light while tricolor flags dot along them. Unlike Monet's there are only a few scattered people along the street.

In the very foreground you can see a crippled, 1 legged, war veteran in a blue coat, using crutches to walk down the street. Manet included him in this calm, and almost somber scene, as a reminder of the past, and what was sacrificed so that there even could be a celebration at all. The veteran is juxtaposed against the background, he even has a small black outline around him to help with this. (Manet was known to juxtapose extreme light and darks in his paintings.) Another example of juxtaposition in this painting is the carriage on the right side of the street.. The darkness of the carriage pops it off of the blinding white street.

One thing that makes this painting balanced is the shadowed background, in comparison to the blinding white foreground. Even though the background is covered in shadows, it's very subtle, and you can still distinguish what everything is. Where the street turns, where the people are, the large tree...etc.

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Claude Monet the Rue of Montorgueil, Festival of 30^th June 1878 oil on canvas

Monet's the Rue of Montorgueil, Festival of 30^th June 1878 was painted on the same day as Manet's however in a very different location, with a different message. While Manet's painting is a reminder of the past, Monet's painting is looking towards a bright future, and celebrating it.

Both sides of this painting are covered in rows and rows of flags, and the street below is completely filled with people, these two elements combined create an incredibly energetic scene. This scene is also from a higher perspective than Manet's. Because of that there is a much larger sense of scale in the painting.

One interesting thing about this painting is the light and dark balance in it. Both horizontally and vertically. The lower half of the painting is much darker, and the upper half of the painting is filled with a bright blue sky. While the right half of the painting is covered with dark shadows, while the left half of the painting is a bright yellow.

Both of these paintings are considered “avant-garde” in terms of style and political views. Monet's painting ignores the war that just happens while focusing on the future. While Manet's painting makes sure to bright the past into light, and to remind the people of what happened.