Mary’s Landscape Art Info

Edouard Manet (1832-83) is often called the Father of Modern Art. He was classically trained and often borrowed motifs of the great masters and painted something similar using his new approach, his innovations with color and brushwork.

Earlier artists began their paintings with a layer of dark paint then built layers on top of that, waiting for each layer to dry before applying the next. The result would be a gradual refining of color but required weeks or months in the making.

Manet preferred to finish his paintings in one sitting. He painted alla prima. He also painted in patches of color, cutting out in-between values to make sharper contrasts. This technique made his painting look flat and “in your face,” an appearance the public did not appreciate. Whereas in the past, paintings gave the impression of a window to a view, the viewer now had to look at the surface of the painting.