Country House in Rueil

In his fiftieth year, at the height of his talent, Manet became seriously ill. His left leg was amputated and he died a long and agonizing death. He continued painting as long as he was physically able. Retreating to Rueil, he spent his last summer almost entirely immobilized by locomotor ataxia. There he set himself under the shade of an acacia to paint his last landscape, House at Rueil, his touch lighter and more vibrant than ever.