Born: 23 January 1832 · Died: 30 April 1883 · Age at death: 51
How old was Édouard Manet when he died?
Édouard Manet died aged 51. He was born on 23 January 1832 and died on 30 April 1883.
French painter of Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe and Olympia whose bold modern scenes shocked Paris and inspired the Impressionists
Did you know?His father wanted him to be a naval officer, but he failed the entrance exams twice before he was allowed to study art.
Quick facts
Date of birth23 January 1832
Date of death30 April 1883
Age at death51
NationalityFrench
Birthplaceformer 10th arrondissement of Paris, France
Occupationpainter, illustrator, lithographer
Editor's Take:
Édouard Manet shocked Paris and opened the door to modern art. Born to a wealthy family, he defied his father to become a painter. Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe, showing a nude woman picnicking with clothed men, caused a scandal in 1863. Olympia, a frank portrait of a courtesan, caused even more outrage. He painted modern city life with bold, flat brushwork. The young Impressionists saw him as a leader, though he never showed with them. A Bar at the Folies-Bergère was his last masterpiece.
Key Milestones
1863: Déjeuner sur l'herbe – Salon des Refusés
1865: Olympia – Salon
1868: Portrait of Zola
1874: Argenteuil with Monet
Édouard Manet (UK:, US:; French:; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.
