Édouard Manet, The Cat and the Flowers, etching and aquatint, 1869

Edouard Manet : Born in Paris in 1832, Edouard Manet was a french painter and engraver. He was the leader of the impressionist artists. Today he is considered as the father of modern painting. He entered the workshop of the academic painter Thomas Couture in 1850. In 1863, he joined the Salon des Refusés, where he enjoyed a great success. In 1866, he joined a group of independent artists (Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Frédéric Bazille, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne) and quickly became the leader. In 1867, he was excluded from the Exposition universelle, and exhibited 50 paintings in his own pavilion. He recieved a medal at The 1881 Salon. The artist died in Paris in 1883.
Etching : Process realized on a metal plate using a chemical (acid) process. The artist using etching is called an aquafortist.