Édouard Manet, Exotic Flower (Woman in a Mantilla), 1868, etching and aquatint printed in brown and black on cream laid paper. The Clark, 1986.18 

It is not surprising that Édouard Manet figured prominently in Sterling and Francine Clark's collection, alongside the French Impressionists they loved and with whom Manet was closely allied. The Clarks also collected Spanish painting, and Manet's undisputed admiration of Spanish art, particularly Francisco de Goya, comes through clearly not just in his paintings but in his prints. Works on paper acquisitions over the last five decades have enabled the museum to highlight the special importance of Spanish artists for Manet. Sometimes this took the form of direct imitation, whereas at other times he adopted Spanish motifs, such as stock characters or details of costume, and reappropriated them for his own scenes of modern life.