Edouard Manet Research Paper

Edouard Manet was a French painter born in Paris, France on January 23rd, 1832. Manet was the son of a high government official, Auguste Manet. At twelve years old Manet was sent to a boarding school, the College Rollin, to continue his education. During these years Manet befriended Antonin Proust, who later wrote a book about his childhood friend. Manet and Proust frequently visited the Louvre, accompanied by Manet’s uncle, Captain Eduoard Fournier, who encouraged his nephew’s interest in art by paying for drawing lessons (McConnell). Manet excelled in drawing and soon expressed his wish to follow an artistic career (McConnell). This is not what Manet’s father had wanted for him. Auguste Manet wanted his son to become a lawyer not an artist.

Manet became the reluctant leader of an enthusiastic group of young painters who later formed the group known as the Impressionists (Funk & Wagnalls). Impressionism is a style of painting that originated in France about 1870. Paintings of casual contemporary subjects were executed outdoors using divided brushstrokes to capture the light and mood of a particular moment and the transitory effects of natural light and color (Frank). Manet drew close to this group of young artist known as impressionist. He borrowed the light and color of his younger friends Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, but his canvases are more deliberately composed and are much less extraverted than theirs of the same period (McConnell). Manet used warm earth tones and simplified details where as Monet used cool earth tones and paid attention to the small fine details. One of Manet’s paintings particularly showcases the impressionism style is The Rue Mosnier with Pavers (1878), which brings the spontaneous brushwork, subtle coloration, light and movement of the Argenteuil paintings back to the streets of Paris (McConnell). Impressionist took their canvases outdoors and painted. Manet was popular for painting the streets of Paris; it is something that he enjoyed