The Urchin

The Urchin is a lithograph in black, with scraping, produced by Édouard Manet (French, 1832-1883) and printed by Lemercier et Compagnie. Created between 1868 and 1874, this powerful piece is classified as a print and exemplifies the artist's serious engagement with graphic media during a crucial period of artistic innovation in France. It captures a youthful subject, typical of the ordinary street life that Manet and his contemporaries explored in reaction to traditional academic painting.

The work’s technical execution highlights Manet’s sophisticated approach to printmaking. It utilizes the chine collé method, where a delicate, thin sheet of ivory paper, accented with red and blue fibers, is carefully adhered to a heavier wove backing sheet before the printing process begins. This technique enhances the subtlety of the black ink, allowing for delicate variations in tone and texture. Manet further manipulated the surface of the lithographic stone through scraping, resulting in the dramatic interplay of light and shadow essential for depicting the young figure’s expression and attire.

This depiction reflects the mid-19th century Parisian artistic focus on modernity and the sensitive portrayal of often marginalized figures. Manet, a transitional figure bridging Realism and Impressionism, frequently produced prints that translated the immediacy of his painted subjects into accessible graphic forms. This lithograph serves as a significant example of French graphic arts from the era, demonstrating the high standard of fine prints created at the Lemercier workshop. This image is preserved in the extensive collection of the Art Institute of Chicago and, due to its historical status, is commonly available in the public domain for scholarly study.