The Absinthe Drinker
Édouard Manet · 1859
Why it's great
A man in a long black cape and top hat stands by a wall with an empty bottle beside him. Manet painted a ragpicker of Paris as if he were a noble. The Salon rejected it in 1859. It was his first major painting and shows an early sympathy for ordinary people.
Where to see it
📍 Ny Carlsberg GlyptotekCopenhagen, Denmark
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About the artist
Édouard Manet1832–1883 · born in former 10th arrondissement of Paris · died in 8th arrondissement of Paris
Édouard Manet was born into a wealthy Parisian family and lived in Paris all his life. He painted modern city life — cafés, bars, and picnics — in a bold, flat style that scandalized critics. He never officially joined the Impressionists, but he inspired them, and they admired him as a leader. He died in 1883 at age 51.
