Letter to Manet
Dear Sir.
I know that you are dead but I was recently asked to choose someone from my Humanistic Traditions books from chapters 30-33 so that I can conduct a research paper on them. Out of the fear of getting stuck with some old boring guy, I panicked and I picked you.
And after writing my paper, I am extremely happy that you were the topic of discussion. Your life and character was quite interesting. I found out that you were born on January 29th, 1832 into a bourgeoisie family and sadly for you because your father August Manet was an honorable Judge they were kind of expecting you to go into law. But luckily for you, you failed the naval examination several times, so your parents had no choice but to encourage you in pursuing arts. I can somewhat relate to that, for me it took some good arguments and convincing for my parents to understand that the arts is an actual subject. I digress; the real reason why I am writing to you is because I kind of feel guilty because my first choice was Claude Monet, but a good thing someone else had already chosen him because after doing my research, based on Anne Hanson’s article, I realized that, that Monet guy stole your thunder and almost your last name. So I am here to boost your confidence like a good fan should.
I don’t think you are aware of how influential you have been in the art world. After you turned 18 you studied under Thomas Couture where you were impressed by works from the old masters such as Velazquez and Goya, you would try to mimic they’re works that were exhibited at the Louvre. Six years later, you left and opened up your first art studio. I think that this important event because you produced your first painting titled “The Absinthe Drinker”. You finally cracked the code on what realism is actually all about. And you didn’t stop there; you began to loosen your brushstroke and by also incorporating the old ways, you managed to start something that would later become an influential art period titled Impressionism. Although you could not have seen it coming at the time, the fact that you would use; beggars, singers, gypsies and street people in your work of arts would also cause a lot of controversies. It would be one of the main reasons why you would later be rejecting from showing your any of your art pieces at the one place that you admired the most: The Salon. Then again, if I had the chance to warn you before you have ever produced your first painting, I wouldn’t! Because then there would never be a Salon-De-Refusee. Nor would there have probably been impressionism.
So while everyone is glorifying Claude Monet for his great contribution to impressionism… I would like to thank you as well. I hope that they are treating you well wherever you are.
P.S. Sorry about your death, I will meet you one day (depending on where you are).
P.P.S. I know you were destined for greatness…you share the same birthday as Oprah Winfrey
Yours truly,
A loving fan
Kaykeria Bernard
I know that you are dead but I was recently asked to choose someone from my Humanistic Traditions books from chapters 30-33 so that I can conduct a research paper on them. Out of the fear of getting stuck with some old boring guy, I panicked and I picked you.
And after writing my paper, I am extremely happy that you were the topic of discussion. Your life and character was quite interesting. I found out that you were born on January 29th, 1832 into a bourgeoisie family and sadly for you because your father August Manet was an honorable Judge they were kind of expecting you to go into law. But luckily for you, you failed the naval examination several times, so your parents had no choice but to encourage you in pursuing arts. I can somewhat relate to that, for me it took some good arguments and convincing for my parents to understand that the arts is an actual subject. I digress; the real reason why I am writing to you is because I kind of feel guilty because my first choice was Claude Monet, but a good thing someone else had already chosen him because after doing my research, based on Anne Hanson’s article, I realized that, that Monet guy stole your thunder and almost your last name. So I am here to boost your confidence like a good fan should.
I don’t think you are aware of how influential you have been in the art world. After you turned 18 you studied under Thomas Couture where you were impressed by works from the old masters such as Velazquez and Goya, you would try to mimic they’re works that were exhibited at the Louvre. Six years later, you left and opened up your first art studio. I think that this important event because you produced your first painting titled “The Absinthe Drinker”. You finally cracked the code on what realism is actually all about. And you didn’t stop there; you began to loosen your brushstroke and by also incorporating the old ways, you managed to start something that would later become an influential art period titled Impressionism. Although you could not have seen it coming at the time, the fact that you would use; beggars, singers, gypsies and street people in your work of arts would also cause a lot of controversies. It would be one of the main reasons why you would later be rejecting from showing your any of your art pieces at the one place that you admired the most: The Salon. Then again, if I had the chance to warn you before you have ever produced your first painting, I wouldn’t! Because then there would never be a Salon-De-Refusee. Nor would there have probably been impressionism.
So while everyone is glorifying Claude Monet for his great contribution to impressionism… I would like to thank you as well. I hope that they are treating you well wherever you are.
P.S. Sorry about your death, I will meet you one day (depending on where you are).
P.P.S. I know you were destined for greatness…you share the same birthday as Oprah Winfrey
Yours truly,
A loving fan
Kaykeria Bernard