Manet vs. Monet

Edouard Manet and Claude Monet - many people get these two names mixed up from the similarity of pronunciation, resulting in looks of contempt from snooty Frenchmen. And really, who wants to be looked down upon by a Frenchman?

Here's a simple fix to prevent this ignorance from ever happening. Manet and Monet- A comes before O on the alphabet; Manet serves as the precursor to Impressionism, while Monet is actually credited with starting the movement.

Both had pretty awesome beards though.

Manet was by far the more realistic painter, noted for the controversy he created with his works. He lived during the mid-nineteenth century, a time when people were starting to reject realism in favor of more abstract portrayals. Manet has always been noted for the "flat" look to his artwork, which reduced the affects of light and shadow, and incorporated slight outlines. His subjects can be broken down into general areas and shapes, resembling the style of minimalists. In his later paintings, detail becomes more simplified, and edges become more blurry, which influenced many later artists during this time period.

A Bar at the Folies Bergere, 1882

Monet, most famous for his paintings of lilies, founded the Impressionist movement, which seeks to capture images as if they were fleeting memories. His style most notably contains a blurred look to them, composed of multiple brush strokes and a liberal use of colors. As an interesting, side note, Monet had cataracts during the early 1900s, which consequently affected the color schemes of his works by taking on a more reddish hue.

Impression, Sunrise, 1872

And there you go, A before O. Influence before creation. Realism before impressionism.