Édouard Manet. The Rue Mosnier with Flags, 1878. Oil on canvas, 25 3/4 x 31 3/4 in; J. Paul Getty Museum, California.

Édouard Manet. The Rue Mosnier with Flags, 1878. Oil on canvas, 25 3/4 x 31 3/4 in; J. Paul Getty Museum, California.

I don’t like to admit that I love Impressionism. It’s because in every museum there is a room for Impressionism and Post-Impressionism paintings and that one room is always flooded with people. And I don’t want to be lumped in with those people. But there is a reason that this artwork is so popular–it’s easy to understand and easy on the eyes. It isn’t some “history” painting, but a colorful and beautiful image of nature.

I usually don’t like Manet paintings that much, but seeing this painting in person this past Spring Break changed my opinion of Manet. Even though he was an Impressionist (Realist, then Impressionist, after meeting Monet), he still used a lot of black in his paintings. And it seems like this painting is a departure from that. The red, white, and blue of the French flags really stand out and grab the viewers’ eyes.

There is something in this painting that makes me so happy–I don’t think it is just the colors, it might be the “patriotic” feeling or something else. I can’t really pinpoint it.

J