Boy with Pitcher (La Régalade)
1862-72
Manet captures a candid, almost messy moment of a young boy tilting his head back to chug water straight from a large white pitcher, a casual drinking style known in France as 'la régalade.' Painted in the early 1860s, this piece shows the artist moving away from stiff historical scenes toward the gritty, everyday life that would soon define Impressionism. The loose, visible brushstrokes on the boy's white shirt and the dark, moody background make the figure pop, proving that a simple act of drinking could be high art.