Manet Edouard

B. Paris, 1832 - d. Paris, 1883

Head of an old Woman  or Woman with a White Head-dress, 1856, oil on canvasHead of an old Woman or Woman with a White Head-dress, 1856, oil on canvasÉdouard Manet, a major French master of the 19th century, studied for six years at the École des Beaux Arts in the atelier of Thomas Couture. Manet graduated in 1856. He had a decisive preference for Old Masters and modern life, and gradually introduced modern aesthetics and bold techniques into his paintings. He replaced the tonal gradations of academic practice with vivid contrasts of colors. The Impressionists greatly admired him for his ability to free himself from conventions of literary and moral statements and for his bright colors.