The French painter Édouard Manet (1832–1883) is considered a critical figure in the history of art, bridging the transition from Realism to Impressionism. His work combines painting technique with striking and contemporary depictions of urban life, focused on the experience of Paris. He captures the city's parks, bars, and cabarets, often reveling in the provocative nature of the content. The overturn of his work "Déjeuner sur l’herbe" by the Paris Salon, with the contrast between clothed men and a nude woman, as well as the indifferent attitude of the prostitute "Olympia," a modern version of Titian's Venus, caused scandal in society. This richly illustrated book introduces Manet's work and his uniquely influential combination of Realism, Impressionism, and revised old masters that would become exemplars of a daring new world for generations of contemporary artists who followed.