Spotlight on Édouard Manet with Dr. Timea Andrea Lelik

Our spotlight on Édouard Manet (1864-1901) examines the work of the first nineteenth-century artist to paint modern life, also regarded as the "Father of Modernism." Through a comprehensive but accessible introduction to the oeuvre of the artist, we will explore Manet’s contribution to modern art history. While analyzing autobiographical information to better grasp the inspiration sources of the painter, we will proceed to an in-depth analysis of his most iconic works depicting contemporary subjects such as the life of the bourgeois, people in cafés, beggars, singers, Gypsies, and bullfights.

Manet was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism rejecting historical subject matter and embracing modern urban life as his subject matter for high art. His radical innovations in color composition and narrative made use of loose brush strokes, simplification of details, and the suppression of transitional tones. His simple and direct translations of reality, however, caused a big scandal in the 1860s after exhibiting two of his most famous works “Luncheon on the Grass” and “Olympia”. To the shock of the Academy and the Manet earned the veneration of avant-garde artists who would later be known as Impressionists (even though Manet never identified with their movement). In this seminar, we will examine the reasons why these paintings attracted so much criticism, addressing at the same time the highly innovative aspects of these works.

Led by an expert on modern and contemporary art and published author, Dr. Timea Andrea Lelik, this interactive seminar will explore the contribution of this great artist to art history. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding and appreciation of the most iconic works by Édouard Manet and how these influenced the course of modern art on a global scale.

This seminar has been designed as part of an extended series of Spotlight Conversations featuring Artists throughout history. To learn more, please click here.