30 January 2013. Manet: Portraying Life at the Royal Academy.

. I went to an early morning viewing. It was fantastic being in virtually empty galleries and able to have a really close undisturbed look at these works. A very educating exhibition. I’d never quite taken in the fact that Manet was only 51 when he died in 1883 nor that the cause of his death was syphilis. I particularly liked The Luncheon featuring his wife’s son Leon, as well as the portraits of Emile Zola, Berthe Morisot and Antonin Proust as well as the picture The Railway.

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/manet/