In 1863, the French painter Ernest Meissonier was one of the most famous artists in the world. Manet was known only as the sloppy painter of a few much-derided canvases depicting absinthe-drinking beggars and bourgeois gentlemen in top hats. This book describes the parallel careers of Meissonier and...

In 1863, the French painter Ernest Meissonier was one of the most famous artists in the world. Manet was known only as the sloppy painter of a few much-derided canvases depicting absinthe-drinking beggars and bourgeois gentlemen in top hats. This book describes the parallel careers of Meissonier and Manet. It also describes the Parisian life.