Édouard Manet (23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French
modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, and was a pivotal figure in the transition from
Realism to
Impressionism. His early masterworks,
Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe and
Olympia, both painted in 1863, caused great controversy and served as rallying points for the young painters who would create Impressionism. Today, these are considered watershed paintings that mark the start of
modern art. This portrait of Manet was taken by the French photographer
Nadar.
Photograph credit: Nadar; restored by Adam Cuerden