Welcome to an outdoor concert that may be a felt experience for you! Here Edouard Manet (1832-1883) shows us a glimpse of modern life in London in the 1800’s that is, beyond the period details, reminiscent of life in 2023! Have you been to a concert at the Botanic Gardens recently?

Manet, a French and renowned artist, often painted scenes of leisure in his time and in these helped to move the world of art from the photographic care and realism of portraiture to the quick brushstrokes and emotion of Impressionism.

In this large and intergenerational group, Manet creates perspective back and back to one triangle of sky. The crowd seems to stretch to that point in ever decreasing details. Our eyes lose the specifics of each person as they travel this scene but not the reality of so many enjoying this day. This is a painting of loss and gain as Manet finds his planned impression in both.

Manet also creates this impression by using singular pigments for those in the front rows and blends of many pigments for the forward trees and all things in the background. Somehow this blurriness of color and stroke does not detract but amplifies the power of this piece.

Music in the Tuileries claims the blended inspiration of music and visual art. We can often “hear” music in the visual and “see” images in a score. In all of the arts, God continues to create through us as we make and appreciate. This is a sacred truth we can engage and enjoy in many places on summer days just as this crowd in 1862. We give God thanks for this blessing that we count among so many. Amen.

In gratitude, faith and hope,

Sandy Prouty
Minister of Children and Families
Montview Church