The Dead Bullfighter
1868
Manet serves up a shocking bird's-eye view of a fallen bullfighter, sprawled on the sand like a discarded puppet in his dark suit of lights. Though often linked to the Impressionist movement, this piece shows his gritty Realist roots—he originally painted this figure as part of a larger chaotic scene but literally cut the canvas in half because he hated the crowd, leaving us with this haunting study of death. Critics were ruthless at the time, claiming the stiff figure looked less like a tragic hero and more like a 'side of beef' on a butcher's slab!
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