| Spring | |
|---|---|
| French: Le Printemps | |
 | |
| Artist | Édouard Manet |
| Year | 1881 |
| Catalogue | 2014.62 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 74 cm × 51.5 cm (29.1 in × 20.3 in) |
| Location | J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles |
Spring is a 1881 oil-on-canvas painting by Édouard Manet. It debuted at the Paris Salon of 1882 and was considered the greatest and final public success of Manet's Salon career.[1] It depicts Parisian actress Jeanne DeMarsy in a floral dress with parasol and bonnet against a background of lush foliage and blue sky, as the embodiment of Spring. The painting also became the first work of art ever to be published in color.[2]
Spring was the first of a planned quartet of allegorical works using chic Parisian women to depict the four seasons. The idea came from Manet's friend, Antonin Proust, who suggested a series of seasons personified by contemporary ideals of women, fashion and beauty. The series was never finished and Manet died a year after finishing only the second of the series, Autumn.[3]
In November 2014, the J. Paul Getty Museum paid more than $65 million for the painting, surpassing the previous record of $33.2 million for a Manet which was paid for Self Portrait With a Palette in 2010.[4]