Boy in Flowers (Jacques Hoschedé)

This work shows Jacques, the oldest son among Hoschedé's six children, in the flower garden of the Hoschedé home. The painting also shows a decorative vase that appears occasionally in other works by Manet. During this period Manet abandoned his 1860s painting style with its heavy use of black and its flat application of color, and began to use a brighter palette and livelier brushwork under the influence of the Impressionists, particularly Monet. He painted scenes from "modern life" under bright outdoor light and the formal and subject characteristics of this work confirm the style of his 1870s work.