Édouard Manet

Lore & Background

Born into an upper-class household with strong political connections, Manet rejected the naval career originally envisioned for him; he became engrossed in the world of painting. His early masterworks, The Luncheon on the Grass (French: Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe) and Olympia, premiering in 1863 and '65, respectively, caused great controversy with both critics and the Academy of Fine Arts, but soon were praised by progressive artists as the breakthrough acts to the new style, Impressionism. These works, along with others, are considered watershed paintings that mark the start of modern art. The last 20 years of Manet's life saw him form bonds with other great artists of the time; he developed his own simple and direct style that would be heralded as innovative and serve as a major influence for future painters.

Reader's Guide

Édouard Manet was born in Paris on 23 January 1832, in the ancestral hôtel particulier (mansion) on the Rue des Petits Augustins (now Rue Bonaparte) to an affluent and well-connected family. He had two younger brothers, Eugène (born 1833) and Gustave (born 1835). His mother, Eugénie-Desirée Fournier, was the daughter of a diplomat and goddaughter of the Swedish crown prince Charles Bernadotte, from whom the Swedish monarchs are descended. His father, Auguste Manet, was a French judge who expected Édouard to pursue a career in law. His uncle, Edmond Fournier, encouraged him to pursue painting and took young Manet to the Louvre. In 1844, he enrolled at secondary school, the Collège Rollin, where he boarded until 1848. He showed little academic talent and was generally unhappy at the school. In 1845, at the advice of his uncle, Manet enrolled in a special course of drawing where he met Antonin Proust, future Minister of Fine Arts and his lifelong friend. At his father's suggestion, in 1848 he sailed on a training vessel to Rio de Janeiro. After he twice failed the examination to join the Navy, his father relented to his wishes to pursue an art education. From 1850 to 1856, Manet studied under the academic painter Thomas Couture. Couture encouraged his students to paint contemporary life, though he would eventually be horrified by Manet's choice of lower-class and 'degenerate' subjects such as The Absinthe Drinker. In his spare time, Manet copied Old Masters such as Diego Velázquez and Titian in the Louvre. From 1853 to 1856, Manet made brief visits to Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, during which time he was influenced by the Dutch painter Frans Hals and the Spanish artists Velázquez and Francisco José de Goya. In 1856, Manet opened a studio. His style in this period was characterised by loose brush strokes, simplification of details, and the suppression of transitional tones. Adopting the current style of realism initiated by Gustave Courbet, he painted The Absinthe Drinker (1858–59) and other contemporary subjects such as beggars, singers, Romani, people in cafés, and bullfights. After his early career, he rarely painted religious, mythological, or historical subjects; religious paintings from 1864 include his Jesus Insulted by the Soldiers and The Dead Christ with Angels. Manet had two canvases accepted at the Salon in 1861. A portrait of his mother and

Did You Know?

• Manet's mother was goddaughter of the Swedish crown prince Charles Bernadotte, not of the king.
• Manet made brief visits to Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands from 1853 to 1856, not in 1863 and 1872.
• The Spanish Singer was exhibited at the Salon of 1861 and received an honorable mention.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Édouard Manet (23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French painter - one of the first nineteenth century artists to approach modern-life subjects. His art bridged the divide between Realism and Impressionism." — Édouard Manet "Who is this Monet whose name sounds just like mine and who is taking advantage of my notoriety?" — Édouard Manet "Quote 1865, recorded by Theodore Duret at the [[w:Salon (Paris)|Paris Salon that year; as quoted on: SCRIBD - 'Manet's letters'" — Édouard Manet "I should be going with Champfleury and Stevens, but they keep putting it off. Anyway, they are bloody bores. Excuse the unseeming language, but since my letter is not for publication, I can say what I please. Touché." — Édouard Manet