Édouard Manet

Édouard Manet played an important role in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. His selection of subjects and his style were new and broke away from the art tradition that had preceded him. Works by Manet often presented modern life themes of everyday scenes of contemporary life handled in a realist manner using a new and fresh technique as a painter. His Olympia painting and Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe are often regarded as the most renowned for breaking out of the shackles of ancient historical and mythological matters to enter upon themes that characterize our modernity. To say that Manet’s style is bold would be an understatement.