''Portrait of Monsieur Pertuiset the Lion-Hunter'' is an 1881 oil-on-canvas portrait painting of the French explorer and adventurer Eugène Pertuiset (1833-1909) by Édouard Manet, now in the

São Paulo Art Museum SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U. ...

Background

Eugène Pertuiset was a celebrated lion hunter who enjoyed considerable media attention and fame during the Second French Empire. In addition to being a big-game hunter, he was an engineer, collector of weapons and paintings, and was commissioned in 1873 by the

Republic of Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

to lead an exploration of Tierra del Fuego. After crossing the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is considered the most important natural pass ...

, he made several expeditions into the interior, discovered coal deposits on Dawson Island and obtained a concession to establish a colony, which he intended to populate with settlers from France; however, the Chilean government withdrew from the project. Returning to Paris, he wrote colorful accounts of his adventures. Pertuiset posed for Manet on the Boulevard de Clichy in 1880, with the monumental portrait completed in 1881. Manet had long been acquainted with Eugène Pertuiset, who had purchased several of his paintings, and had found Pertuiset's half-heroic, half-burlesque character to be amusing. For his part, Pertuiset was also an amateur artist, and in 1884 submitted his own version of the portrait, titled ''The Lion Hunt'', which was exhibited at the new

Société des Artistes Indépendants The Société des Artistes Indépendants (''Society of Independent Artists'') or Salon des Indépendants was formed in Paris on 29 July 1884. The association began with the organization of massive exhibitions in Paris, choosing the slogan "''sans ...

in 1884.

Reception

The work places Pertuiset and a lion's body in a setting of trees with purple shadows, with the lion in the background, partially hidden by trees. Pertuiset, rather than striking a heroic pose as expected by his fans, is depicted on one knee, with a somewhat pensive expression. The setting is of course, imaginary, as Manet had never visited Africa or had witnessed a lion hunt, but the lion pelt may have been modeled after one Pertuiset acquired in a famed 1866 hunt. Manet exhibited ''Portrait of Monsieur Pertuiset the Lion-Hunter'' at the Paris Salon in 1881 where it received much condemnation from various critics who disliked its flat style, overuse of violet, and the originality of the pose. However, despite the negative reviews, Manet was awarded a medal for the work, the first official recognition of his career.

References

* Scott Allen, Emily A. Beeny, Gloria Groom: ''Manet and modern beauty, the artist’s last years''. Art Institute of Chicago und J. Paul Getty Museum Los Angeles 2019–2020, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles 2019, ISBN 978-1-60606-604-1. * Denis Rouart, Daniel Wildenstein: ''Edouard Manet: Catalogue raisonné''. Bibliothèque des Arts, Paris und Lausanne 1975.

External links

São Paulo Art Museum home page
{{Édouard Manet Pertuiset Pertuiset 1881 paintings Paintings in the collection of the São Paulo Museum of Art Hunting in art Lions in art

Background

Reception

See also

References

External links