Manet and the Object of Painting

In this encounter between one of the 20th century’s greatest minds and an artist fundamental to the development of modern art, French philosopher Michel Foucault explores Edouard Manet’s importance in the overthrow of traditional values in painting. Here translated into English for the first time, this powerful critique takes the form of a commentary on 13 of Manet’s paintings. For the politically minded philosopher, the connection between visual art and power was clear: Art is not an aesthetic pursuit, but a means to explore—and challenge—power dynamics.