Dragonfly, plate 1 from Le Fleuve

Dragonfly, plate 1 from Le Fleuve is a significant 1874 print created by Édouard Manet, featuring collaborative contributions from poet Charles Cros. The technical complexity of the work is evident in Manet's sophisticated use of etching, drypoint, and aquatint applied in black ink on ivory laid paper. This combination of printmaking techniques allowed the French artist to achieve varied textural effects, from the crisp lines characteristic of drypoint to the rich, atmospheric tonal washes provided by the aquatint medium. The plate was skillfully printed by Auguste Delâtre and Cochet and subsequently published in Paris by Librairie de l'eau-forte and Richard Lesclide.

Manet, known primarily as a pioneer of modern painting, maintained a deep commitment to graphic arts throughout his career, often using the medium to advance his experimental style. This particular image, intended as an illustration for Cros’s poetic work Le Fleuve, focuses on a striking rendering of a dragonfly, an insect often associated with the fleeting nature of time and beauty in 19th-century French literature. Manet’s economical yet dynamic style, evident in these prints, was foundational to the emerging Impressionist sensibility in France. Today, the enduring artistic and historical significance of this print ensures its study by scholars worldwide. This important example of 19th-century French graphic arts is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where the image is now part of the public domain.