The Little Cavaliers

Like many French artists, Edouard Manet honed his skills by copying artworks in the Louvre. He was especially attracted to the inventive brushwork, bright clarity, strong tonal contrasts, and clear outlines that he found in works by the 17th-century Spanish artist Diego Velázquez. The Little Cavaliers is Manet’s version of a painting once thought to be by the Spanish master (see illustration). Consider how Manet uses his work to align himself with Velázquez, and perhaps to outdo him.

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