Study of trees 1859

Edouard Manet's “Study of Trees” is an exercise in mark-making, rendered with oil paint on canvas. What’s interesting here is how Manet builds up the image through visible brushstrokes. Note the varying directions, densities, and colors used to describe the trees' textures. The brown hues create the trunks, and the fleeting touches of green suggest foliage. Consider Manet's technique, breaking down the conventional smooth surfaces of academic painting into a mosaic of discrete gestures. It is not so dissimilar to a potter manipulating clay, or a weaver interlacing threads. By emphasizing the materiality of paint and the act of painting itself, Manet elevates the status of the medium. He invites us to appreciate the artist's labor and skill, underscoring that the way something is made is as important as what is depicted. Through his emphasis on the material and the making, Manet bridges the gap between the fine arts and the applied arts.