Edouard Manet

Edouard Manet (1832-1883) was a highly influential French painter of the 19th century; His works are considered a bridge between Realism and Impressionism. Manet was the forerunner of the impressionists, and he is considered by many to be the father of modern art.

Early life

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, 1881-1882.

Manet was born on January 23, 1832, to parents Auguste Manet and Eugenie-Desiree Manet. In 1848, at the age of sixteen, he embarked on the ship Le Hauvre et Guackloupe as a cabin boy. He was at sea for six months. Upon his return to Paris, he was able to persuade his family to allow him to devote himself to painting. He used to copy the old masters in the Louvre. He absorbed the influences of Diego Velazquez and Francisco Goya.

Career

Portrait of Georges Clemenceau.

Manet was, arguably, the most scandalous painter of his time. His nudes (particularly "The Picnic" and "Olympia") were the cause of great public uproar. His sketchy, spontaneous, and sometimes brutally honest technique inspired the most pivotal art movement since the renaissance - impressionism. He completed painting his last masterpiece, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (Le Bar aux Folies-Bergère), in 1882.

Manet, like his good friend Edgar Degas, was a self-confessed urbanite, and many his works depicted life in the city. He died in Paris in 1883. He was only 51.

Still life

Still-life was an important element in the paintings of Édouard Manet; He painted still lifes throughout his career but his most sustained interest in the genre itself was from 1864 to 1865. [1] Manet was unfortunate to suffer a long illness before he died, however some good did come out of it. He would paint the small bowls of flowers that visitors would bring, including his legendary "Lilacs in a Vase". [2] Manet considered Still life to be the "touchstone of the painter". [3]