The Balcony, c.1868/69 by Édouard Manet
Canvas Print - 3339-MED

Displayed at the Salon of 1869, this painting left the public perplexed. Despite their close proximity, the three figures within it lack personal interaction. A barely visible fourth figure is present. The Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot (1841-95), seated, receives the most detailed treatment and gazes intensely into the street. Fanny Claus (1846-77), the violinist, is depicted with a light touch, in stark contrast to Morisot, appearing ethereal and sketch-like. She gazes ahead while absentmindedly putting on her gloves. Antoine Guillemet (1843-1918), the landscape artist, also receives less detailed modeling than Morisot and looks ahead as well. However, all of them, posed as if for a formal photograph, avoid making eye contact with the viewer. The scene remains enigmatic, with the characters isolated within a frozen moment, untouched even by the presence of a small dog.

Contrary to the principles of Impressionism, "The Balcony" was painted in the studio. It exhibits a fiercely geometric composition: the shutters confine the spatial boundaries, the interior of the house appears black and flattened, and a horizontal railing cuts across the picture and divides the figures. The diagonal and vertical bars point towards each individual. The figures collectively form a triangular mass, while their bright heads, set against the dark backdrop, create another triangle, echoing the design of the balcony itself. Once again, Manet employs a limited color palette, emphasizing blacks and whites. The contrast of vibrant hues, such as the green shutters and balcony, the blue cravat, red fan, yellow gloves, and green umbrella, also generates their own directional forces within the canvas.