Manet the Sailor
Édouard Manet initially planned a career in the navy, despite his talent for drawing. After leaving school in 1848, he joined the French Navy. He failed the entrance exam for the Naval Academy (École navale du Borda) twice. In between, he worked as a deckhand on a training ship bound for Rio de Janeiro. After his second failure, he abandoned his maritime ambitions and dedicated himself entirely to painting.
A Born Copyist
Manet’s early works were copies of masterpieces by great painters. He traveled across Europe, visiting museums to study and replicate famous paintings. In the Netherlands, he admired Frans Hals, while in Spain, he was deeply influenced by Velázquez and Goya. In Paris, he spent most of his time copying works by Titian, Tintoretto, Daumier, Courbet, and Delacroix. In fact, Delacroix encouraged him to recreate Dante and Virgil in Hell, which became his first official work.
A Passion for Spanish Art
Manet was fascinated by Spanish painters, particularly Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Goya. Their bold colors and dramatic themes greatly influenced his early works, such as The Spanish Singer, Lola de Valence, and Young Man in a Majo Costume. He also went through a “bullfighting phase”, producing paintings like The Dead Man, which vividly captured Spanish traditions.
Between Praise and Criticism
Manet’s paintings were initially rejected by the official Paris Salon. Instead, he exhibited his now-famous Luncheon on the Grass at the Salon des Refusés. While critics dismissed his work as unacademic, he was admired by the Impressionists, including Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, and Pissarro. Despite their support, Manet—who sought bourgeois recognition—was frustrated by his lack of public success.
Zola and Manet
One of Manet’s most devoted supporters was Émile Zola, the celebrated novelist of Thérèse Raquin. Zola repeatedly defended Manet’s modern artistic style and praised his innovative approach to painting. To thank him, Manet painted Portrait of Émile Zola (1868), depicting the writer at his desk, surrounded by symbols of admiration: a brochure bearing Manet’s name, a reproduction of Olympia, and Japanese artifacts, reflecting their shared interest in Japanese art.
Realism and Impressionism
Manet’s work deeply influenced his contemporaries, particularly the Impressionists, who regarded him as their artistic father. However, Manet refused to participate in the first Impressionist exhibition, organized by his close friend Claude Monet. Determined to maintain his own style, he remained distinct from the movement but absorbed some of its techniques—especially its use of color—making him both the last Realist and the first Impressionist.
A Painter of the Outdoors
Manet’s Impressionist friends encouraged him to paint en plein air (outdoors) to capture natural light and the fleeting essence of a scene. Painting outdoors became more accessible in the 1840s with the invention of paint tubes, allowing artists to work outside their studios. Though primarily a studio painter, Manet did experiment with landscapes, such as Young Girl in the Garden at Bellevue (1880).
The Bunch of Asparagus
Though less famous for them, Manet produced many still lifes, especially in his later years when illness confined him to his studio. One of his best-known still lifes, A Bunch of Asparagus (1880), was sold to collector Charles Ephrussi for a higher price than expected. In response, Manet sent Ephrussi a second painting, this time of a single asparagus, with a note reading: “One was missing from your bunch.”
His Final Paintings
Manet’s last two major works reflect the two major themes of his career. A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1881–1882) captures Parisian nightlife, showcasing his love for social scenes and the role of cafés in artistic culture. Meanwhile, House in Rueil (1882), painted under the shade of an acacia tree, clearly demonstrates the Impressionist inspiration that had influenced him throughout his life.
A Premature Death
Manet contracted syphilis in his youth, likely during his voyage to Rio de Janeiro. Over time, complications led to locomotor ataxia, and in 1883, he underwent a leg amputation. His illness altered his painting style, forcing him to sit while working, focusing on still lifes and pastel portraits. Partially paralyzed and suffering from gangrene, he died in April 1883, at the age of just 51.