Monet or Manet: how to tell them apart
One letter, two painters
The confusion is long-standing. Remember this: Manet is the elder, born in 1832, died in 1883. He painted modern life in the studio, with bold blacks and subjects that caused scandal, Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe, Olympia. Monet, born in 1840, died in 1926, painted outdoors, light and water, in series—the same cathedral at all hours—and ended his life in front of his pond in Giverny. One opened the door, the other stepped through.
Where to see Monet
Across the three Monet museums in Paris. The Marmottan Monet, in the 16th arrondissement, with over a hundred works, including Impression, soleil levant; this is the museum you're in while reading these pages, and its tour is on what to see at the Marmottan. The Orangerie, with the eight panels of the Water Lilies. Orsay, with several dozen paintings. The full distribution is on where to see Monet in Paris.
Where to see Manet
At the Orsay Museum, on the Left Bank, with Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe and Olympia. The Orsay ticket with audioguide is the perfect tool for the afternoon, knowing that Orsay is closed on Mondays, like the Marmottan, and open late on Thursdays, just like the Marmottan. I mention it again because visitors often ask at the reception: there’s no Manet here. The Marmottan is Monet’s museum; Manet is at Orsay.
Berthe Morisot, the connecting link
What makes the confusion persistent is that the two names truly intersect in one family. Berthe Morisot, an Impressionist painter, married Eugène Manet, Édouard’s brother. She was therefore Manet’s sister-in-law and exhibited with Monet. The Marmottan holds the world’s foremost Morisot collection, on the first floor, including Eugène Manet à l'île de Wight, the portrait of her husband. It’s the only place in the museum where the name Manet appears, and it’s on a Morisot label. Her page is Berthe Morisot at the Marmottan.
A way to remember it
Monet, with an O, like “water”: the Water Lilies, the pond, the Thames, the port of Le Havre. Manet, with an A, like “studio”: posed figures, modern scenes, blacks. It’s not art history, just a guide’s trick, and it’s worked for twenty years.
What works
- Two painters, two main museums, one shared closing day
- The Marmottan for Monet, no reservation needed
- Orsay for Manet, with a timed slot and the audioguide
- Morisot at the Marmottan, to understand the connection
Good to know
- No Manet at the Marmottan, don’t look for him
- Orsay and the Marmottan are both closed on Mondays
- The Cradle by Morisot is at Orsay, not at the Marmottan
- Giverny is Monet’s home, not a painting museum
Do them in reverse chronological order: Monet at the Marmottan in the morning, Manet at Orsay in the afternoon. You’ll better understand what Manet started once you’ve seen how far Monet went. The route is on how to get there by metro.
Book Orsay for Manet
Frequently asked questions
Are Monet and Manet from the same family?
No. They were contemporaries and knew each other, but they weren’t related. The family connection goes through Berthe Morisot, Manet’s sister-in-law. See Berthe Morisot.
Are there any Manet works at the Musée Marmottan Monet?
No. The Marmottan is Monet’s museum, with over a hundred works. Manet’s works are at the Orsay. The Marmottan’s tour is on what to see.
Who painted the Water Lilies?
Monet, in Giverny, from 1897 onward. The large panels are at the Orangerie, the studio canvases at the Marmottan. See the Water Lilies at the Marmottan.
Who painted Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe?
Manet, and the painting is at Orsay, alongside Olympia. Orsay is closed on Mondays. See the Orsay ticket.