AN APPRECIATION: Eva Gonzales "Mlle. Gonzales" by Edouard Manet
Eva Gonzales' story is inextricably linked to that of Edouard Manet. The only student that Manet ever took on, Gonzales' talent had just emerged from under Manet's shadow when she died at age 34.
Career Gonzales was born in Paris in 1849. She was from a cultured and affluent family. Her father was the writer Emanuel Gonzales and her mother was a musician. As a result, Eva was exposed to artistic and intellectual circles from an early age. At 16, Gonzales decided that she wanted to be an artist. However, the prestigious official art school in Paris, the Academie des Beaux Arts did not accept female students. Therefore, it was arranged for Gonzales to take lessons from the fashionable portrait painter Charles Chaplin. In the 1860s, Edouard Manet had become the most notorious artist in Paris. He was loved by the avant garde but hated by academics. His paintings had caused public scandals. In 1869, the British painter Alfred Stephens introduced Manet to Gonzales. He was quite taken with her and did a portrait of her, which was shown at the annual Paris Salon of 1870. He also agreed to take Gonzales on as a student. As might be expected, Gonzales' painting style became quite similar to Manet's. For example, her painting, “The Little Solider” done in 1870, is similar both in concept and colors to Manet's “The Fifer” done four years before. (Interestingly, “The Fifer” was rejected when it was submitted to the Paris Salon while “The Little Soldier” was accepted when it was submitted). By the early 1870s, however, Manet's style was changing. He was considered a hero by the Impressionists and his style had influenced their approach to art. However, their style also influenced him. He went on painting expeditions with Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Manet's colors became brighter and his images more Impressionistic. Despite Manet's change in style, Gonzales continued to use the same neutral palette that Manet had used in the 1860s. Her style evolved, however, becoming more unique as the decade progressed. Like the Impressionists Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt, she focused primarily on women and domestic scenes. Under the restrictive standards of the day, that was the only world open to women of her class. Although her style was Impressionistic, Gonzales did not exhibit at any of the Impressionist exhibitions. The reason for this is unknown. It could have been in deference to Manet's decision not to participate in the Impressionist exhibitions. It could also have been because of the prominent role Manet's friend Morisot played in the Impressionist exhibitions. There was considerable tension between Gonzales and Morisot. Instead, like Manet, Gonzales submitted her works to the prestigious official government exhibition, the Paris Salon. In 1874, she submitted “A Loge at the Theater.” However, the jury had doubts whether a woman could paint such a picture. Concerned that it might actually have been done by Manet, the jury rejected the painting. Gonzales re-worked the painting and submitted it again in 1879. This time, it was accepted and received good reviews. Gonzales career was cut short when she died of complications from childbirth in 1883, five days after the death of Manet. Personal life In 1879, after a three-year engagement, Gonzales married the engraver Henri Guérard. Prior to their marriage, he had appeared in some of Gonzales's paintings including “A Loge at the Theater.” Gonzales's sister Jeanne, perhaps Gonzales' favorite model, also appears in that painting. Jeanne, who was also an artist that exhibited works at the Salon, raised Eva's child. Interestingly, Henri married Jeanne 5 years after Eva's death. As might be expected, since Goanzales was the only person Manet ever took on as a student, there has been speculation over the nature of her relationship with Manet. Manet was handsome, charming and enjoyed the company of pretty, talented women. In her letters to Manet, one of those women, Morisot, reportedly shows some jealousy over the attention that Manet paid to Gonzales. However, there is little beyond that to support such speculation. Furthermore, such speculation disparages Gonzales' talent as an artist. Analysis Gonzales was a talented artist whose career was cut short before it could blossom fully. In the beginning, her work was very much influenced by Manet. However, the two artists later took different forks in the road. Interestingly, while Manet embarked on a course much different than the approach he originally took, Gonzales continued on Manet's original course and evolved it into a style of her own. See our profiles of these other Impressionists and members of their circle.
Frederic Bazille Eugene Boudin Marie Bracquemond Gustave Caillebotte Mary Cassatt Paul Cezanne Edgar Degas Henri Fantin-Latour Paul Gauguin Armand Guillaumin Edouard Manet Claude Monet (Part I The Early Years) Claude Monet (Part II High Impressionism) Claude Monet (Part III The Giverny Years) Berthe Morisot Camille Pissarro Pierre Auguste Renoir Alfred Sisley Suzanne Valadon Victor Vignon |
Two of Gonzales' best known works - - "The Loge at the Theater" (above and "Morning Awakening" (below). Eva's sister Jeanne was a model in both.
Above: "The Little Soldier".
Gonzales was also skilled in pastels. "Lady with a Fan" above) and "Spanish Woman" (below).
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Artist appreciation - Eva Gonzales