Exhibition on Screen: Manet (Encore)

Directed by Phil Grabsky and Ben Harding

The Royal Academy of Arts in London hosts the first ever retrospective devoted to the portraiture of Edouard Manet. Spanning this enigmatic and, at times, controversial artist’s entire career, the exhibition brings together works from across Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Manet’s portraiture comprises over half of his artistic output, yet had never been displayed in exhibition before the Royal Academy of Arts agreed to take on the challenge. Manet painted everyone from his family and friends to the literary, political, and artistic figures of the day—giving life not only to his subjects but also to Parisian society. Featuring portraits of his most frequent sitter—his wife, Suzanne Leenhoff—the exhibition consists of more than 50 works. The film reveals exclusive behind-the-scenes moments of the exhibition’s preparation and paints an accounting of Manet’s life and influences. Host Tim Marlow and special guests dive deep into the mind of who some call the “father of modern art.”

90 minutes