They call him the ‘father of modern art’. But just who is Edouard Manet? In this acclaimed film, focussed on the sell-out Manet exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, we explore his life and works. Presented by art expert Tim Marlow, we have exclusive access to the show as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the show’s preparation and a detailed biography of Manet and a rapidly changing 19th-century Paris. Leading experts and painters provide their analysis too – and all in stunning detail.

"One of my favourite paintings is The Railway by Edouard Manet - both the piece and the artist have fascinated me for some time. Naturally I was delighted therefore when I heard that our good friends at the Royal Academy of Arts in London had decided to hold an exhibition of Manet’s portraits. Manet is such an intriguing personality – on the one hand a relatively bourgeois individual who liked to dress well but, on the other, sometimes quite unpredictable and even scandalous. He loved his swiftly evolving Paris but also seemed to worry about how it was changing. He brings us modernity while clearly feeling nostalgic for the past too. He’s an impressionist in many ways and yet never exhibited with them – and certainly ignored their dictat to avoid the use of black. A show that concentrates on portraits is a wonderful way to enter into his biography – to meet his friends, family and favourite models. It also offers us a clear narrative – his life story. To many he is perhaps the greatest, most significant, of the revolutionary band of artists at the middle and end of the 19th century. I hope this film offers more than a glimpse of why that is the case." Phil Grabsky, Director

[Not Available in Italy, Spain & Poland]