Édouard Manet (1832–1883) and Claude Monet (1840–1926) were both born in Paris, eight years apart. Their names differ by a single letter, so they are constantly confused, but they were different artists who painted in different ways.
Quick way to remember: Manet painted people, man and woman, in bold scenes of modern Paris life. Monet painted the look of light: landscapes, water, gardens and series of the same motif at different times of day.
Édouard Manet: the painter of modern life
Manet trained in the studio of Thomas Couture and wanted success at the official Paris Salon. Instead he caused scandals. Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe shocked visitors to the 1863 Salon des Refusés, and Olympia caused uproar at the Salon of 1865. His flat areas of colour and frank modern subjects made him a hero to younger painters. He is often seen as the bridge between Realism and Impressionism, yet he never showed his work at the Impressionist group exhibitions.
Claude Monet: the painter of light
Monet was a founder of Impressionism. His Impression, Sunrise, shown at the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris in 1874, gave the movement its name after a critic used the title to mock the group. Later he painted series of a single subject in changing light, including haystacks, poplars, Rouen Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament in London. From 1883 until his death in 1926 he lived at Giverny, where his water-lily garden became his greatest subject.
Impression, Sunrise
Rouen Cathedral Series
Garden at Sainte-Adresse
Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son
How their stories connect
The two men were friends. In 1874 Manet painted Monet at work on his floating studio boat at Argenteuil. In the mid-1860s Monet began his own huge Luncheon on the Grass, a response to Manet's controversial picture; surviving fragments are in the Musée d'Orsay.
Side by side
| Édouard Manet | Claude Monet | |
|---|---|---|
| Born | 23 January 1832, Paris, France | 14 November 1840, Paris, France |
| Died | 30 April 1883, Paris, France | 5 December 1926, Giverny, France |
| Movement | Impressionism | Impressionism |
| Typical subjects | People and modern Paris life: cafés, portraits, the Salon scandal pictures | Landscapes, water and gardens; series of one motif in changing light |
| Famous works | Luncheon on the Grass (1863) Olympia (1863) A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882) The Balcony (1868) | Impression, Sunrise (1872) Rouen Cathedral Series (1892) Garden at Sainte-Adresse (1867) Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son (1875) |
| Pronunciation | "ma-NAY" | "mo-NAY" |
Frequently asked questions
Are Monet and Manet the same person?
No. Édouard Manet (1832–1883) and Claude Monet (1840–1926) were two different French painters who knew each other.
Who came first, Manet or Monet?
Manet was born first, in 1832; Monet was born in 1840.
Was Manet an Impressionist?
Manet inspired and supported the Impressionists, but he never exhibited at their group exhibitions and is usually seen as a link between Realism and Impressionism.
How do you remember the difference between Monet and Manet?
Manet with an "a" painted people (man and woman); Monet with an "o" painted the look of light outdoors: landscapes, water and gardens.