Profile of Eva Gonzales, Turned to the Left

Profile of Eva Gonzales, Turned to the Left is a refined etching created by Édouard Manet (French, 1832-1883) in 1870. This intimate print is executed with plate tone in black on cream laid paper, a technique Manet utilized skillfully to move beyond simple outline. The delicate application of ink across the plate surface allows for subtle tonal gradations and rich textural effects in the final image, emphasizing the contours of the sitter’s profile rather than relying solely on cross-hatching or drypoint lines. This mastery of the printed medium confirms Manet’s importance as a pioneering figure in French printmaking.

The subject is Eva Gonzales (1849-1883), a highly talented artist in her own right and Manet’s only formal pupil. Created shortly after she began studying with the older artist, this portrait captures her sophistication and serious demeanor, highlighting the intellectual relationship between mentor and student in the context of Parisian art culture during this pivotal era. Manet frequently explored the graphic arts as a vehicle for disseminating and reinterpreting his primary subjects, and this work provides a condensed, compelling view of Gonzales that complements the more expansive oil portrait he executed around the same period.

This piece not only documents an important personal relationship within the Impressionist circle in France but also exemplifies the modernization of portraiture in the 1870s. As a significant work on paper by the French master, this print resides in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.