Manet Dies

Edouard Manet (1832-1883) was a French painter whose work helped bridge the gap between Realism and Impressionism. He died in Paris in 1883. Though closely associated with the Impressionists and admired by them, he is more accurately described as a pivotal transitional figure who pursued his own independent course.

His provocative works included Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass, sometimes rendered as Picnic on the Grass) and Olympia, both of which scandalized critics when first exhibited in the 1860s for their frank subject matter and bold handling of paint. These paintings challenged the conventions of academic art.

Manet's flattened forms, modern Parisian subjects, and rejection of conventional finish profoundly influenced younger artists. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern painting, a crucial figure in the shift away from the established academic tradition of the nineteenth century.