In 1863, the French painter Ernest Meissonier was one of the most famous artists in the world. Manet, on the other hand, was struggling in obscurity. This book ... » 

In 1863, the French painter Ernest Meissonier was one of the most famous artists in the world. Manet, on the other hand, was struggling in obscurity. This book takes the parallel careers of Meissonier and Manet and uses them as a lens for their times. It tells how - benign as such paintings might seem - they helped change the course of history. «