Provenance
The artist; (his estate sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 4-5 February 1884, no. 59); (Portier, Paris). (Durand-Ruel et Cie, Paris and New York), c. 1900. (Paul Cassirer, Berlin). Max Liebermann [1847-1935], Berlin, by 1904;[1] by inheritance to his daughter, Mrs. Kurt Riezler [née Käthe Liebermann, 1885-1952], Berlin and later New York, until at least 1949.[2] (Wildenstein and Co., New York). Paul Mellon [1907-1999], Upperville, Virginia, by 1966;[3] bequest 1999 to NGA, with life interest to Mrs. Mellon; life interest released 2006.
[1] The early provenance is according to Denis Rouart and Daniel Wildenstein, _Edouard Manet: Catalogue raisonné_, 2 vols., Lausanne and Paris, 1975: I:no. 297, repro. The painting was number 488 in the inventory taken of the artist's possessions after his death in 1883. Published as in Liebermann's collection in Ferdinand Laban, "Im Zwanzigsten Jahre nach Manets Tode." _Zeitschrift für bildende Kunst_ (1904): repro. 35.
[2] This painting was among 14 from Liebermann's collection that were sent to the Kunsthaus Zürich in May 1933 and later released to his daughter Käthe Riezler. (See Walther Feilchenfeldt’s letter to Dr. Wartmann of 2 May 1933 published in _Max Liebermann und die französischen Impressionisten_, Düsseldorf, 1997: 239; "In the list of pictures that Max Liebermann is leaving in Zurich for safe keeping is “6. [Manet,] George Moore.”) The Riezlers left Europe for New York in 1938. The painting was lent by them to a 1948 exhibition at Wildenstein, New York, and again to an exhibition of their collection in San Francisco in 1949. See Karl-Heinz Janda and Annegret Janda, "Max Liebermann als Kunstsammler" in _Forschungen und Berichte_ 15 (1973): 103-149.
[3] Included in a 1966 exhibition of of the Mellon collection at the NGA.
Accession Number
2006.128.24
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 54.6 x 45.1 cm (21 1/2 x 17 3/4 in.) | framed: 78.11 × 68.26 × 10.8 cm (30 3/4 × 26 7/8 × 4 1/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Tags
Painting Impressionist & Modern (1851–1900) Oil Painting Canvas French
Background & Context
Background Story
George Moore in the Artist's Garden depicts the Irish writer and art critic George Moore (1852-1933) relaxing in Manet's garden at Bellevue. Moore was one of Manet's most articulate defenders, writing about his work in terms that helped establish Manet's reputation as the father of modern painting. The portrait shows Moore in a casual, informal pose that reflects the friendship between artist and sitter—a contrast to the more formal portraiture of the period. The garden setting provides the dappled light and natural atmosphere that were characteristic of Manet's outdoor paintings of the late 1870s.
Cultural Impact
George Moore was one of the most important literary advocates for Manet and the Impressionists, and this portrait documents the friendship between the painter and the critic. Moore's writings on Manet helped establish the narrative of Manet as the father of modern painting—a narrative that has persisted to this day. The casual pose and garden setting reflect the informal relationship between the two men, and the dappled light reflects Manet's engagement with the Impressionist exploration of outdoor painting.
Why It Matters
George Moore in the Artist's Garden is Manet painting his defender: the Irish critic who championed his work, depicted in a casual, friendly pose that reflects their personal relationship. The garden setting and dappled light show Manet engaging with Impressionist outdoor painting, but the portrait's directness and informality are pure Manet—not Impressionist atmosphere, but personal friendship.
