简介：Manetisoneofthemaincandidatesforthetitleofthemostimportantartisttherehasbeen.AsthereluctantfatherofImpressionism,andthepainterofDejeunersurl'herbe,hecanprobablybeaccusedofinventingmodernart.Buthisstoryisfascinatingonmanyotherlevels. Asapieceofcompellingbiography,Manet'sistheunlikelytaleofthestubbornsonofthemosthighlyplacedjudgeinFrancewhodecidestobecomeanartistandembarrasshisfather.Theresultingfamilytensionsarethestuffoflegend.Hismother,bytheway,wasfromafamilythatstillsuppliesSwedenwithitsroyalty. ThentherewasManet'sdramaticprivatelife,includingexoticromanticaffairsandaparticularlyhorribledeathwhen,riddledwithsyphilisandgangrene,Manethadtohavehislegamputated. Butnoneofthiswouldmatterajotwereitnotfortherevolutionaryartitprovokedandcoloured.AlwayscitedasthefatheroftheImpressionists,Manetstubbornlyrefusedtoshowwiththem,andwascarefultomaintainanaestheticdistancefromMonet,Renoirandtheothers.Whiletheyworshippedhim,helookeddownonthem,preferringtocontinuehisownremarkabledeparturefromthetraditionalwaysofart.Thescandalouspaintingswithwhichhemadehisreputation-theoutrageouslysexyOlympia,therelentlesslyparaphrasedDejeunersurl'herbe-arethemosttotemicimagesinFrench19th-centuryart.AndthestoryofhowManetwasrejectedfromtheofficialsalon,andendedupinstigatingtheSalondesRefuses,canbeunderstoodastheepoch'skeyculturalevent. UsingthelifeofManetashisnarrativearch,WaldemarJanuszczaktellsthestoryofacomplexanddifficultmanwhostartedarevolutionthatcontinuestorumbleontoday.…