ONLINE PROGRAM

Manet/Degas at the MET

Chris Boicos, professor of art history for the University of Southern California Paris program and founder and main lecturer for Paris Art Studies

This major exhibition examines one of the most significant artistic dialogues in modern art history: the close and sometimes tumultuous relationship between Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas. Born only two years apart, Manet (1832–1883) and Degas (1834–1917) were friends, rivals, and, at times, antagonists who worked to define modern painting in France.

Both Manet and Degas were pioneers in incorporating into their art subject matter and figures from modern city life. As traditionally trained painters, they were keen to connect their modern subjects to the history of art at the beginning of their careers in the 1860s before moving beyond historic references in the 1870s. By examining their careers in parallel, and presenting their work side by side, this exhibition investigates how their artistic objectives and approaches both overlapped and diverged.

Through more than 150 paintings and works on paper, Manet/Degas takes a fresh look at the interactions of these two artists, deepening our understanding of a key moment in nineteenth-century French painting.

$15 fee for guests and subscribers (no fee for members)