The Ballet Dancer (Don Mariano Camprubi)

The Ballet Dancer (Don Mariano Camprubi), executed between 1862 and 1863 by Édouard Manet French, 1832-1883, is a significant early example of the artist's engagement with printmaking. This work, classified as a print, utilizes the technique of etching in brown ink upon cream laid paper, a medium that allowed Manet to explore the bold contrast and expressive line work central to his evolving aesthetic.

Manet frequently utilized the process of etching during this formative decade, employing the medium’s immediacy to capture figures and scenes from contemporary Parisian life. The print, likely depicting the performer Don Mariano Camprubi, demonstrates Manet’s skillful economy of line, focusing on the posture and costume of the dancer rather than detailed environment. This sharp, abbreviated approach distinguished the emerging French Realist movement from the highly finished surfaces of academic art.

Created in France during a period of intense artistic transition, this piece reflects Manet’s commitment to capturing contemporary figures rather than strictly historical or mythological subjects. The selection of a performer as the subject foreshadows the artist’s continued fascination with theater and public spectacle. This specific impression is held within the esteemed collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, offering a valuable record of Manet's versatile output beyond his iconic oil paintings. As a historical work of this era, high-quality reproductions of these early prints are often made available through public domain initiatives for scholarly study and art reference.