Lady in fur
1880
Édouard Manet captured his favorite muse, the famous Parisian courtesan Méry Laurent, in this striking 1880 portrait. Notice how her dark fur wrap contrasts with her pale skin and the vibrant, almost wild green foliage behind her? Manet was quite ill when he painted this, yet his brushstrokes remain bold and confident, showing a master at work. Laurent hosted famous Tuesday salons that attracted all of Paris's artistic elite, and Manet was a regular guest who clearly admired her greatly. It's an intimate glimpse into the bohemian heart of 19th-century Paris.
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