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Antonin Proust

Edouard Manet French

Not on view

Antonin Proust and Manet were childhood friends and fellow art students. Proust pursued a career in politics and journalism but remained closely associated with the artistic circles and salons that Manet and Degas frequented. Manet presented his urbane, elegantly dressed friend as a modern Parisian dandy. Critics were divided when the painting was exhibited at the Salon of 1880. Some criticized its sketchiness and lack of finish, while others saw his handling of paint as bold and decisive. As minister of fine arts, Proust awarded Manet the Légion d’honneur and later wrote an important biography of the artist.

Antonin Proust, Edouard Manet (French, Paris 1832–1883 Paris), Oil on canvas, French

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