Édouard Manet was a pivotal French painter who helped bridge Realism and Impressionism and is often called the father of modern art. Rather than idealized historical or mythological scenes, Manet painted modern Parisian life, cafés, streets, performers, and everyday people, using bold brushwork, flattened space, and strong contrasts of light and dark.

Most Popular Painting: Olympia (1863)

Manet’s most famous and controversial work is Olympia. The painting depicts a nude woman reclining on a bed, staring directly and unapologetically at the viewer. Unlike idealized classical nudes, Olympia is clearly a modern woman, which scandalized audiences when it was shown in 1865.