Manet Boating Zip Pouch

Gifts for art lovers, inspired by The Met collection.

The leisurely scene featured on this zip pouch was painted by Édouard Manet (French, 1832–1883) in 1874. That year, Manet summered at Gennevilliers, and spent time with Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir across the Seine at Argenteuil, where the Museum's Boating was painted. Manet adopted the lighter touch and palette of his Impressionist peers, and notably employed the broad planes of color and strong diagonals of Japanese prints. When Boating was exhibited at the Salon of 1879, it was declared "the last word in painting" by Mary Cassatt, who recommended the acquisition to the New York collectors Louisine and H. O. Havemeyer.

We present this stylish accessory in celebration of Manet/Degas, an examination of the close albeit tumultuous relationship between Manet and Edgar Degas (French, 1834–1917). These two highly influential artists were friends, rivals, and, at times, antagonists who worked to define modern painting in 19th-century France. By surveying their careers in parallel and showcasing their work side by side, this exhibition investigates how their artistic objectives and approaches both overlapped and diverged. Through more than 150 paintings and works on paper from The Met collection and beyond, Manet/Degas, on view at The Met Fifth Avenue from September 24, 2023 through January 7, 2024, explores one of the most significant artistic dialogues in modern art history.