Boating

Edouard Manet was born into a family of great wealth and political connection. His mother was goddaughter of the Swedish crown prince Charles Bernadotte and his father a French judge. Despite his father's efforts to guide him into a career in law, Manet ultimately followed the path of his greatest heroes: artists. He would go on to become one of the most influential painters of his time. Spending the summer of 1874 with fellow impressionist masters Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir influenced the painting above, where Manet experiments with the lighter brushstrokes and colors of his peers. Once hailed by his contemporary Mary Cassatt as "The last word in painting", Manet's depiction of a couple enjoying a day on the lake would inspire her to tackle the subject for herself in one of her finest works, The Boating Party.