Baudelaire de profile en chapeau I

Original etching, 1862.2nd state wove paper, with mbm watermark, Signed with monogram “em” at upper left, undated
Size: 225 X 272 mms (Paper size); 118 X 75 mms (Plate size)

Note: This etching is one of two portraits of Baudelaire etched by Manet during his lifetime. Sandblat belives that this versionn was etched in 1862 at the tiomem of the painting of “Concert in the Tuilleries. Charles Baudelaire was a 19th century iconic figure whose repuruation rests mainly on his work “Les Fleurs du mal” which was perhaps the most important 19th century poetry collection. The poet’s leife was filled with drama and strife, to being prosecuted for obsenity and blasphemy. Long after his death many look upon his name as representing depravity and vice: Others see him as being the poet of modern civilization, seeming to speak directly to the 20th century.

Published by: There were a number of editions of this work published: 1890 : Gennevilliers; 1894 : Dumont; 1905 : Strollin (All for the first state). The second state (our example) was published in the German Edition of Duret in 1910. Modern proofs are, to my knowledge, not known of this particular print whereas they are plentiful for Harris 61 which shows a more developed portrait of Baudelaire.
Reference: Guerin 30; Harris 21, Public Collections: Bibliotheque National, Paris