Edouard Manet (1832-1883) was a French painter whose works show his transition from realism to impressionism. He was born into an upper class family with strong political connections. He left the promising career as a politician in his pursuit of becoming a painter. He is most famously known for his early masterpieces, The Luncheon on the Grass and Olympia. These two paintings were controversial at the time because both the paintings featured nude women as the highlight. People criticized that the paintings were obscene and improper. However, these paintings became an inspiration for many artists who would create Impressionism. Today, these paintings are also considered as the paintings that mark the turning point of the origin of modern art. Manet was a pioneer of Impressionism, but he did not want to be attached to a certain group of artists. He also painted the works related to war as his depiction of the modern life. Manet married Suzanne Leenhoff who was his music teacher and supposedly his father’s mistress. After his father’s death, she gave birth to a son who Manet considered as his younger brother than son. Manet is certainly one of the most influential artists who developed a new style of painting. The Impressionism evolved through his paintings which gave birth to the modern art.
