The 19th century is a period of great changes in art, notably with the emergence of modern art which is not always well understood. Art critics connect the misunderstood artists and the appalled general public. They help form the public attitude towards art and they portray the prevalent perception of art in a certain period of time. This dissertation describes the situation that led to the appearance of modern art as well as the development of art criticism from the perspective of renowned art critics of the 19th century. Its objective is to focus on relations between Émile Zola and Édouard Manet and to analyse the critical texts in which Zola supports the painter and his revolutionary artwork as well as expresses his own main ideas about art and artists. The dissertation also studies how Zola’s position on impressionism changed through time and how art influenced his own work.
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