In 1867, Édouard Manet wrote “Mr. Manet has no intention of overthrowing old methods of painting or of creating new ones. He simply seeks to be himself and not someone else.” This might have seemed disingenuous to the public scandalized by Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe in 1863 or Olympia in 1865, despite both paying homage to Italian Renaissance masterpieces. Even the young artists who admired his contemporary subjects and innovative approach to color and light might have seen this comment as overly modest. This presentation will explore the revolutionary nature of Manet’s modern masterpieces.