Stepping out to aid fight to save painting (From The Oxford Times)
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Stepping out to aid fight to save painting
11:00am Friday 13th July 2012 in News
Dr Christopher Brown, back, left, and Craig Clunas, professor of the history of art at Oxford University, with Claire Coleman and, front, student artists Izzy Nicolson, left, and Manon Franklin-Fraiture
FIFTY walkers joined Ashmolean Museum director Dr Christopher Brown as he hit the Manet trail in Oxford yesterday.
The walk was held to promote the museum’s bid to save an Impressionist masterpiece for the nation.
Earlier this week 10 full-size replicas of Manet’s Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus were put up around the city.
Dr Brown was joined by staff and art-loving members of the public to inspect the new additions to Oxford’s streetscape.
And there was a surprise for the group when Manet’s favourite model Fanny Claus came alive. In Broad Street they were greeted by Ashmolean education officer Claire Coleman, dressed as Mademoiselle Claus.
Art students Manon Franklin-Fraiture, of Edith Road, Oxford and Izzy Nicolson, of Islip, took the opportunity to get out their sketch pads.
Ms Franklin-Fraiture, 18, who will begin an art course at Abingdon & Witney College in September, said: “We had no idea there was going to be a model. But I take my sketch pad wherever I go. The Manet is a beautiful painting. It should be put in a museum in a city like Oxford.”
The Ashmolean has until August 1 to raise £7.83m to buy the painting. With just three weeks to go it needs another £590,000.
Fringe says...
9:19pm Fri 13 Jul 12
And as to Clunas, who is the most tedious, lumpen lecturer what is he doing there? - he bores on Chinese Ming bits and pieces.