The Battle of the Kearsarge and the Alabama
Édouard Manet · 1865
Why it's great
Two warships fire at each other in the English Channel off Cherbourg in 1864, during the American Civil War. Manet, a Paris artist, painted a big wide sea with a tiny ship, and the Alabama sinking. The sea is a green-gray ocean with a high horizon. It's his first major seascape.
Where to see it
📍 Philadelphia Museum of ArtPhiladelphia, United States
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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.
