Impressionism

10 Best Portraits by Édouard Manet

Zuzanna Stańska 23 January 2025 min Read

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Édouard Manet is known as one of the most controversial artists of his time. Highly criticized for his realism and for depicting modern life scenes without any mythological or religious costume, his masterpieces like the legendary Luncheon on the Grass or Olympia created a gateway to modern art. He also created portraits. See here the 10 best portraits by Édouard Manet according to DailyArt Magazine!

Manet’s portraits are not scandalous images like his other works but rather snapshots seen through the eyes of the artist. Keep in mind that the art of photography had already been born in Manet’s time. What new can be added to portraiture in this case? Some of Manet’s portraits, such as the famous one of Zola, follow the conventional format but others, such as the likeness of Mallarmé are like fantasy portraits and seem to draw inspiration from a blurred photographic print. Others are catching momentary impressions.

1. Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets

Édouard Manet, Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets, 1872, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France. manet best portraits — Édouard Manet, *Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets*, 1872, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.

2. Portrait of Emile Zola

Édouard Manet, Portrait of Emile Zola, 1868, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France. manet best portraits — Édouard Manet, *Portrait of Emile Zola*, 1868, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.

3. Lola de Valence

Édouard Manet, *Lola de Valence*, 1862, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.

4. Stéphane Mallarmé

Édouard Manet, Stéphane Mallarmé, 1876, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France. manet best portraits — Édouard Manet, *Stéphane Mallarmé*, 1876, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.

5. Nana

Édouard Manet, Nana, 1877, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany. manet best portraits — Édouard Manet, *Nana*, 1877, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany.

6. Zacharie Astruc

Édouard Manet, *Portrait of Zacharie Astruc*, 1866, Kunsthalle Bremen, Bremen, Germany.

7. Mademoiselle V. . . in the Costume of an Espada

Édouard Manet, Mademoiselle V… in the Costume of an Espada, 1862, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA. manet best portraits — Édouard Manet, *Mademoiselle V… in the Costume of an Espada*, 1862, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA.

8. Irma Brunner

9. Portrait of Nina de Callias

10. Berthe Morisot with a Fan

Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot with a Fan, 1872, Musée d'Orsay manet best portraits — Édouard Manet, *Berthe Morisot with a Fan*, 1872, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.

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Zuzanna Stańska

Art Historian, founder and CEO of DailyArtMagazine.com and DailyArt mobile app. But to be honest, her greatest accomplishment is being the owner of Pimpek the Cat.