Eduard Manet – In the Orangery | DKJo!

During the next DKJo! meeting, together we will explore one of Eduard Manet’s most interesting works entitled In the Greenhouse. This 1879 painting, seemingly depicting a scene of an ordinary afternoon spent in a hothouse, is full of ambiguities that invite the viewer to a deeper interpretation. The couple who posed for the work are Manet’s friends, Mr. and Mrs. Guillemet, but the painting is not a classic portrait. At first glance, it appears that the painting depicts a portrait of a husband and wife spending time in a fashionable conservatory. However, closer examination of the painting reveals more complex and ambiguous relationships between the figures.

The painting shows a woman sitting on a bench and a man standing behind her, but the gestures, gazes and their positions raise more questions than answers. The woman’s uncovered hand, the glove lying on her lap and the cigar in the man’s hand seem to suggest something more than a casual social scene. Is this an allusion to a complicated relationship, or does the image reflect the woman’s loneliness and confinement in the cage of marriage? Or perhaps the couple is not married at all, and the woman is dating someone who is not her husband?

During the meeting:

• We will talk about the richness of symbols and hidden meanings contained in the painting.
• We will consider possible interpretations of the relationship between the characters.
• We will discover the ambiguity of the title and the historical and iconographic clues that allow us to understand the work on many levels.
• Together we will analyze how Manet uses painting to tell the story of subtle human relationships.

As always, each participant will be able to share their thoughts and interpretations of the work. The meeting will be led by art historian Lukasz Wudarski