Lola Melea was a Spanish dancer from Valencia who performed in Paris in 1862. This etching is based on Manet’s 1862 oil painting of the dancer (Musée d'Orsay, Paris) and is one of Manet’s earliest prints. It was published by the Société des Aquafortistes (Society of Etchers), which had been founded by the publisher Alfred Cadart (1828–1875) the previous year. The society’s ambition was to revive and promote the ‘forgotten art’ of etching. Members included experienced printmakers as well as painters, like Manet, who had never previously worked in this medium. Millet and Daubigny were also part of this group.