Child Portrait (Le petit Lange)

Eduard Manet (1832-1883) painted his "Child Portrait (Le petit Lange)" around 1861/62. The boy, who is about five years old, is depicted here en face, in full figure, and without any decorative accessories. He is dressed in elegant Sunday black, with a handsome wide-brimmed hat on his head, and a bridle and whip - a toy that was typical for the period - in his hand. In a broad stance, he faces us with a serious, far-away expression.

Despite the wonderful differentiation within the monochromatic colour scheme, Manet's painting style remains sketchy, including the spatial surroundings, which are left vague. Only the child's face receives closer attention: Here, with a finer brush and more precision, the painter worked out the full cheeks, their rosy hue, the large dark eyes, and the light that brightens his clear features.

The boy's frontal pose, the composition, and especially the quiet melancholy that the painting exudes, suggest a connection to Antoine Watteau's "Gilles" (1721), to which Manet alluded in other works as well.