Spanish Ballet Dancers and Bullfighting Characters

Eduoard Manet, The Spanish Ballet, 1862. Oil on Canvas. Philips Collection, Washington, DC.

Because bullfights were not allowed in Paris under the Second Empire, Manet could not have witnessed a bullfight until his trip to Spain in 1865. Again, the French society at the time enjoyed Spanish themed pop culture. In the fall of 1862, a Spanish troupe of dancers performed The Flower of Seville at the Paris Hippodrome for several months (Wilson Baraeu 226). An admirer of Spanish culture, Manet invited the dancers to his studio where he created several works of the group. His perception of bullfighting characters look similar to the guised dancers of the troupe, which were the only bullfighting-characters that Manet would have seen. Granted the bullfighting costumes are similar because most bullfighting garb is rather ornate and distinctive, Manet’s bullfighting characters in his bullfight works pose like his ballet dancers. Mme. Vicotorine in Mme. V… in the Costume of an Espada and Senorita Lola’s body in Lola de Valence both stand still in the works rather than engage in their respective activities. Painting bullfight characters like Spanish dancers, Manet’s pre-Spain visit works represent the bullfighters as a theatrical performers rather than an thrill-seekers. The Spanish dancers and early bullfighting characters helped Manet appeal to the exotic wants of his audience rather than depict the authentic event scenes.

(Left) Eduoard Manet, Lola de Valence, 1862. Oil on Canvas. Musee d'Orsay, Paris.

(Center) Eduoard Manet, Mme. V… in the Costume of an Espada, 1862. Oil on Canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

(Right) Eduoard Manet, Mariano Campribudo, 1862. Oil on Canvas.