AllMovie

Manet: The Heroism of Modern Life pays tribute to the celebrated French painter Edouard Manet. A visually rich biography, the film explores the development of Manet's style and his devotion to the historical and political importance of art which his colleague Baudelaire called "heroism of modern life." The documentary also provides an in-depth look at Manet's most significant works and his key role in the evolution of impressionism. Some of Manet's better-known paintings which led him to become the forerunner of the impressionist movement include The Picnic, Olympia, and The Reading.