Manet: Portraying Life

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Today, it seems astonishing that the work of Edouard Manet (1832–83), the master French painter, was controversial in his day. His subversive handling of both paint and subject matter, coupled with his detached gaze, shocked contemporaries—but established him as the father of modern painting. This remarkable book, published to accompany an important traveling exhibition, explores the artist’s stylistic evolution in the context of his portraiture. The relationship between Manet’s portraits and his genre scenes is presented for the first time, illustrated by such masterpieces as The Luncheon (In the Studio) of 1868, and In the Conservatory (M. and Mme. Guillemet) of 1879. Leading authorities consider such topics as the influence of 17th-century Dutch painters, parallels with Renoir, and links with early photography. Praise for Manet: “Lush portraits as arresting today as they were when they were first exhibited.”