Spring (Study of Jeanne Demarsy)

Edouard Manet was an artist who bridged the gap between Realism and Impressionism. During his time Manet considered himself to be a Realist artist and he classed his work as sincere. However, his radical painting style and modern subject matter highly influenced the work of the Impressionists, which has led to him being perceived as the father of Impressionism. Manet's private life was controversial. He married his family's piano teacher, who had also been his father's mistress and had her own child. It is unknown whether Manet was the father or brother of the child; however he treated the boy as his own. Manet also maintained a close friendship with the artist Berthe Morisot, which is how he became acquainted with many of the Impressionist artists.