In the last years of his life, Manet became interested in pastels. This technique attracted him, above all, the opportunity to bring a sense of spontaneity into the work. Pastel allows you to create a soft, velvety texture. Most likely, this is why the artist at this time increasingly painted female figures in pastel, not in oil.
Many of Mane’s pastels remained simple portraits, however, among the works created in this technique, there are also amazing genre scenes filled with the invincible spirit of everyday life – for example, Women Drinking Beer or Woman Releasing Garter.
Both pastels were written around 1878. Mane was not alone in his quest. In his time, pastel survived its rebirth – especially the Impressionists loved it. By the way, in 1870 even the Association of Artists, working with pastels, appeared in France.
