Realism / Impressionism · French · 1832–1883

Édouard Manet

Manet was the pivotal figure who bridged Realism and Impressionism in 19th-century French painting. His frank depictions of modern Parisian life — Olympia, Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe — caused scandal but transformed Western painting. He worked almost entirely in Paris and never exhibited with the Impressionists, though he was their greatest inspiration.