Manet Appraisal

Manet by himself - Edited by Juliet Wilson-Bareau

This is a large-format art monograph, or coffee-table book, titled 'Manet by himself,' edited by the renowned art historian and Édouard Manet specialist Juliet Wilson-Bareau. The book is bound in hardcovers and protected by a full-color glossy dust jacket. The cover art features a prominent reproduction of Manet's Impressionist masterpiece, 'Young Woman among Flowers' (1879), depicting a woman in a light blue gown seated amidst a botanical backdrop. The title and editor's name are printed in a clean, black serif typeface at the bottom of the front cover. In terms of condition, notice is taken of significant damage to the top left corner and along the upper spine edge of the dust jacket, where the paper is torn, creased, and missing small fragments, revealing the binding underneath. The paper edges show light scuffing and shelf wear consistent with handling over several decades. Based on the editor and title, this volume is likely the 1991 edition published by Little, Brown and Company (New York) or MacDonald (London). The book serves as a comprehensive collection of Manet's paintings, drawings, and personal letters, offering a scholarly yet accessible look at the artist's life and evolution. Despite the wear to the jacket, the craftsmanship of the high-quality color plates typically found in this edition remains a defining feature of the work's educational and aesthetic value.