Edouard Manet

Discover the life of Édouard Manet (1832–1883), a pioneering French painter who challenged academic art, bridged Realism and Impressionism, and transformed the language of modern painting.

Introduction

Édouard Manet is widely regarded as one of the foundational figures of modern art. Born in Paris in 1832, he challenged the strict conventions of academic painting by portraying scenes of modern life with bold brushwork, flattening of space, and an expressive use of light. Though he was never formally an “Impressionist,” his innovations and spirit influenced that movement deeply. His famous paintings — such as Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, Olympia, and A Bar at the Folies-Bergère — remain iconic markers in the history of 19th-century art.

Manet’s experiments, provocations, and dedication to painting what he saw—and how he saw it—helped shift the paradigm from historic, ideal subjects toward the visual language of modernity.

Early Life and Family

Édouard Manet was born on January 23, 1832 in Paris, into a prosperous, well-connected family.

Manet was the eldest of three sons; his siblings were Eugène and Gustave.

As a youth, Manet had some exposure to maritime training: he undertook a voyage intended for a naval career, but twice failed the naval entrance exam.

In the 1850s, he formally studied painting under the academic painter Thomas Couture, while also developing his own observational and copying practices (especially at the Louvre) to study older masters like Velázquez, Titian, and Goya.

Art Training, Early Career, and Challenges

In 1856, Manet established his own studio on Rue Lavoisier in Paris.

Manet’s early works showed a loose brushwork, less concern for smooth transitions, and a simplification of detail—an approach that diverged from the polished, academic finish tradition.

His early attempts to gain acceptance in the salons (the official art exhibitions in Paris) met mixed results. In 1861, he submitted two paintings—Portrait of Monsieur and Madame Manet and The Spanish Singer—both accepted; The Spanish Singer earned him an honorable mention.

But by 1863 his direction became more confrontational. That year, his painting Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass) was rejected by the official Salon jury. In response, Manet exhibited it instead at the Salon des Refusés, an alternative exhibition for rejected works created by Emperor Napoleon III.

The shocking juxtaposition of fully clothed men with a nude woman in a modern setting, and the painting’s somewhat sketchy execution, created immediate uproar. Critics mocked its boldness; some said it looked unfinished.

The follow-up controversy came with Olympia (1863–65), which was accepted into the Salon of 1865 but created scandal for portraying a nude woman (believed to be a courtesan) with confrontational boldness. The painting subverted traditional nudes by presenting the subject with composure, direct gaze, and minimal idealization.

These two paintings (Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe and Olympia) are frequently cited as pivotal moments in the history of modern art—a break from historic or mythological subjects toward the depiction of contemporary life, in styles that foreground the artist’s hand.

Mature Work & Artistic Evolution

Over his career, Manet did not fully join the Impressionist exhibitions, though he formed friendships and exchanges with many of the Impressionists (e.g. Monet, Degas, Renoir).

In his later years, his painting style became more pared down—simplifying forms, flattening space, and focusing more on light, color, and immediacy rather than fine detail.

One of his last major works is A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882), which highlights his experiments with reflection, viewer position, and modern urban atmospheres.

Personal Life & Health

In 1863, Manet married Suzanne Leenhoff, a Dutch pianist and longtime acquaintance. Boy Carrying a Sword).

Later in life, Manet’s health deteriorated due to syphilis complications and rheumatism. His left foot was amputated because of gangrene in April 1883, and he died eleven days later (April 30, 1883).

Legacy and Influence

Édouard Manet is often called a bridge between Realism and Impressionism, and a father of modernism in painting.

• Innovations in technique: He often used a direct (“alla prima”) method—applying paint in a more immediate manner rather than building layers over dark underpainting. His brushwork, bold patches, and use of black and light tones challenged established norms.

• Subject matter: Manet’s choice of modern life—cafes, people in transit, social life in Paris, prostitutes, and city life—expanded the range of what was acceptable in fine art.

• Influence: While he did not fully embrace Impressionist exhibitions, many Impressionists admired him and learned from his approach to light, color, and brushwork.

• Art historical stature: Over time, harsh early criticism gave way to admiration. Manet’s radical shifts came to be seen as foundational in 20th-century art.

His extant works number around 430 oil paintings, nearly 90 pastels, and more than 400 works on paper.