Manet: Portraying Life

Edouard Manet's "The Railroad"

Janet and I couldn't have had a more lovely evening.

Her boss gave us tickets to the MEI (Media Events International) screening of Manet: Portraying Life which came to us via HD Live.

Not only that, but we went to the pre-viewing reception at the Salmon Arm Municipal Art Gallery:  French wine, French period music, French hors d'oeuvres supplied by The Blue Canoe.

Trivia answers were typed on cards and sat beside the wine or on the canapé table.

1. Manet's father had a different profession picked out for him than being a painter.  What was it? (a sailor)

2. Name Manet's son. (Leon)

3. How much did a recent painting of Manet's sell for. (3.3 million)

4. Why did Manet not consider himself one of the Impressionists, even though he hung out with them and adopted some of their techniques? (He outlines his figures in black.  He was moving to the modernists with his technique.)

The questions went on and on.  Not knowing any, Janet and I did not blurt out answers and so we came away prize-less.

But on the way home we were surprised at how knowledgeable we had gathered. We could identify paintings, talk about technique ... and we were beating ourselves up for never having gone to the Royal Academy of Art when we were in London.  Oh, I slipped into their courtyard early one morning and took pictures just as the sun hit the facade of the building.  But I mean I didn't really get inside -- far enough to see what hangs on the walls there.  A mistake.

This exhibit gathered pictures from Toledo, Ohio where many of Manet's famous works reside.

Would I recommend this HD Live series called "Exhibition on Screen, Great art at the Cinema.  Janet and I agree -- listening was hard work.  Both of us felt as though we had been to a university lecture, But that is not the most painful experience in the world.

Arta