Guerre Civile (Civil War), 1871 (published 1874)
Édouard Manetexpand_more
Lithograph on chine appliquéexpand_more
Gift of Philip W. Pillsbury, 1959expand_more P.12,793
Not on Viewexpand_more
Edouard Manet's Guerre Civile portrays the tragic aftermath of a street battle between local National Guard militiamen and troops of the provisional national government during the 1871 siege of Paris. Prussia's decisive victory over Napoleon III during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) led to the formation of the Paris Commune, a worker-dominated anti-royalist city government whose principal aim was to re-establish France as a democratic republic. One of a pair of lithographs Manet made of the subject, the graphic scene is not imaginary, but is based on a sketch he made on the spot. Though he was not a member of the Commune, Manet was sympathetic to the group's political cause, which is made clear in this vivid depiction of dead National Guardsmen lying behind a demolished barricade. The short-lived Commune was eventually crushed by national army troops at a cost of 30,000 workers' lives.
Details
- Title
- Guerre Civile (Civil War)
- Artist Life
- 1832 - 1883
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.12,793
- Provenance
- Phillip Winston Pillsbury, Wayzata, Minn.; given to MIA, 1959.
- Catalogue Raisonne
- M-N 81 II; MG 75; H 72 ii/ii
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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