Portrait of Edouard Manet by Henri Fantin-Latour

Henri Fantin-Latour conceived his Portrait of Edouard Manet (1867) to present the artist as a respectable man of his times. Impeccably dressed and with a reserved demeanor, this depiction of Edouard Manet countered the wide-spread perception of him as a renegade that had been promoted in the conservative art press. In fact, Manet never regarded himself as a revolutionary -- it was his choice to pose as a bourgeois gentleman -- but he insisted that his art reflect the image and interests of his own society.

Henri Fantin-Latour's Portrait of Edouard Manet is an oil on canvas (46-1/4 x 35-1/2 inches) that belongs to The Art Institute of Chicago.

Henri Fantin-Latour was not the only young Impressionist artist to be inspired by and in awe of Manet's genius, which is evident in the group of people portrayed in his painting A Studio in Batignolles Quarter. Go to the next page to learn about this work.

For more on Impressionist paintings, artists, and art history, see:

• Impressionism
• Vincent van Gogh
• Claude Monet