Boating

Painted during a summer Manet spent near Argenteuil on the Seine, "Boating" captures a moment so casual it almost feels like a snapshot. A man in a straw hat leans back, one hand on the tiller, while his female companion sits quietly beside him. What strikes most people is the bold sweep of blue water that fills nearly the whole canvas. There's no horizon, no shoreline, just the figures floating in a sea of color. This cropped, off-center view shows how much Manet admired Japanese prints and the new art of photography, both of which were shaking up how artists framed their scenes.

The painting comes from the years when Manet was rubbing shoulders with younger Impressionist friends like Claude Monet, and you can feel their influence in the bright outdoor light and loose, lively brushwork. Still, Manet kept his own touch, especially in the crisp whites of the man's shirt and trousers. The artist never officially joined the Impressionists or showed his work in their exhibitions, preferring to chase acceptance at the official Paris Salon instead. When this piece finally appeared there in 1879, some critics scratched their heads at its flat, modern look, but today it stands as one of the most refreshing pictures of leisure he ever made.