Édouard Manet (1832-1883) - French painter

Manet was instrumental in bridging the gap between realism and impressionism in 19th century France, though his paintings were often rejected by the Salon for their less realistic style and more than once caused critical and public outcry. One of his most controversial works was Le déjeuner sur l’herbe, or Luncheon on the Grass, which pictures a naked woman lounging by a river with two fully-clothed men. Despite controversy, Manet found success as an artist and befriended other artists of his day, including Edgar Degas and Claude Monet. Manet is now revered as the father of modernism.

“Manet is a point of departure, the symptomatic precursor of a revolution.” - Louis Gonse, critic

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