Édouard Manet

Édouard Manet was a French Painter. He was one of the first nineteenth century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.

Édouard Manet produced almost 420 oil paintings during his lifetime, besides many watercolours and pastels.

Édouard Manet was born into the ranks of the Parisian bourgeoisie on January 29, 1832 to parents Auguste Manet and Eugenie-Desiree Fournier .His Mother, Eugenie-Desiree Fournier, was the goddaughter of Charles Bernadotte, the Crown Prince of Sweden and his father, Auguste Manet, was a magistrate and judge. His father wanted him to pursue a career in law but Édouard was interested in a career in the arts.

Édouard's uncle Charles Fournier always encouraged him to pursue painting seriously and often took him to exhibitions at the Louvre.

Édouard's earlier works were inspired by Dutch and especially Spanish Paintings of the XVIIth century.

From 1850-1856 Édouard Manet studied under the French painter Thomas Couture after failing his naval examination. He copied the Old Masters in the Louvre in his spare time. He also spent some time travelling to Germany, Italy and the Netherlads, during this time he absorbed the influences of Durtch artist Frans Hals and the Spanish artists Diego Velasquez and Francisco José de Goya.

In 1863, The Salon refused to exhibit one of Manet's most famous paintings Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (The Lunch on the Grass), which he did exhibit at the Salon des Refusés (Exhibition of Refused Works) later in the year.

From 1870 to 1871, Manet served as an officer in the French army during the Franco-Prussian War.

In 1881, Édouard Manet was awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government.

In 1881-82 Édouard Manet painted his last major work, Le Bar aux Folies-Bergère (A Bar at the Folies-Bergère). It was exhibited at the Salon that same year.

In 1883, Édouard Manet at the age of 51 died in Paris of untreated syphilis, which caused him partial paralysis. His left foot was amputated because of gangrene eleven days before he died.

Édouard Manet was buried in Cimetière de Passy, Paris, France.