Edmond Maître
Frédéric Bazille·1869
Historical Context
Painted in 1869 and now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, this portrait of Edmond Maître is likely the more finished companion to the earlier study 'Porträt des Edmond Maître' (Q131758675). Maître—Bazille's close friend and a cultivated music enthusiast who championed Wagner among the young Parisian painters—was a significant figure in the social and intellectual world of the proto-Impressionist circle. His friendship with Bazille was one of the most important personal relationships of Bazille's life, and Maître's presence in multiple Bazille paintings—including the 1870 studio interior—testifies to his centrality in that world.
Technical Analysis
The National Gallery portrait is more fully developed than the sketch-like companion study, with a more complete modelling of the face and greater attention to the sitter's distinctive character. The palette is warm but controlled, with careful work on the face and hands as psychological focal points.
