Edouard Manet - Spring and Autumn

In 1881, Édouard Manet tentatively began work on a new series of four portraits.

Spring,

Summer,

Autumn,

and Winter.

Spring - Edouard Manet

The idea had originally come from a conversation with his good friend Antonin Proust (the journalist/politician) who had not exactly directly “commissioned” the series, but certainly “strongly requested” it!

And, as…