Manet: A Model Family

A groundbreaking and richly illustrated account of the importance of Manets family to his art

All families are complicated, but the family of Édouard Manet (18321883) was more complicated than most. The artist married a piano teacher who worked for his wealthy parents. Her son, born out of wedlock, may have been Édouards, his fathers, or another mans. For all its complexities, Manets family fueled his creativity. They were his most frequent models, and supported him emotionally and financially. Manet: A Model Family is an innovative new exploration of the largely neglected story of the importance of Manets family to his art.

Presenting new research on works in which Manet depicted family members, Manet: A Model Family shows how an understanding of the artists family sheds crucial light on his artistic career. Manets mother, wife, stepson, and other relativesincluding his sister-in-law, the painter Berthe Morisotare given long overdue recognition for their roles in Manets life and work. Leading scholars present technical and archival analysis, including redating Madame Auguste Manet, an important, newly conserved painting of Manets mother. In an essay inspired by that canvas, Pulitzer Prizewinning critic Hilton Als reconsiders Manets formative relationship with his mother and his bourgeois Parisian roots.

With its original account of Manets domestic relationships and personal life, Manet: A Model Family humanizes the artist and his contributions to the birth of modernism.

Published in association with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Exhibition Schedule
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
October 10, 2024January 20, 2025