In Manet’s first major painting of Victorine, The Street Singer (1862), he brings her body into the controllable realm of the canvas but still fails to control it. The story of Manet’s meeting with the cherry-eating singer who inspired the painting is revealing of Manet’s aims for the painting. According to Antonin Proust, who was with him at the time, when the singer refused to pose for him, Manet said “Well, I still have Victorine” (Brombert 111). The certainty of his reference to her, whom he will “always have,” shows a certain possessiveness; this was the painting that would prove Victorine and her dangerous body under his control.
Yet rather than control, Manet seems to settle for concealment of Victorine’s sexuality. The bell-shaped dress completely hides Victorine’s feminine shape, but Manet even turns the exposed parts of Victorine’s body - her hands - against her. Her right hand pulls the wide sleeve across her chest, where perhaps the only feminine outline could have been seen. More importantly, however, this hand also covers her mouth with cherries, concealing even the sensuality of her lips. This gesture of control is implicitly erotic. In 19th century France, the shiny, luscious cherries that peek out from behind Victorine’s hand would have represented sensuality and sexual immorality (Siebert 98). Thus the gesture of concealment ultimately refers back to the body being concealed. Instead of docilely submitting to Manet’s control, the sexuality of the The Street Singer seems to tease us from behind the curtain-like dress. There is no way to know how Manet’s relationship with Victorine had progressed at this point, but something of flirtation comes through in Victorine’s sensual mouthing of the cherries. Thus, The Street Singer shows that despite Manet’s attempts to control her, Meurent will not be conquered through concealment.
Manet, Edouard. The Street Singer. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.