S8 Ep255: POLITICS, WAR, AND THE REPUBLICAN SPIRIT OF THE IMPRESSIONISTS Colleague Sebastian Smee. Édouard Manet was a passionate Republican who loathed the authoritarian rule of Napoleon III, a sentiment rooted in his witnessing the 1848 uprising and his travels t

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John Batchelor

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🗓️ 28 December 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

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Summary

POLITICS, WAR, AND THE REPUBLICAN SPIRIT OF THE IMPRESSIONISTS Colleague Sebastian Smee. Édouard Manet was a passionate Republican who loathed the authoritarian rule of Napoleon III, a sentiment rooted in his witnessing the 1848 uprising and his travels to Rio where he saw the horrors of slavery. His political activism influenced the Impressionist circle, who were all Republicans. Manet frequented cafés to discuss politics with figures like Léon Gambetta, a moderate Republican leader navigating the tensions between monarchists and radicals. The group's optimism was tested by the Franco-Prussian War of 1870; following the Emperor's defeat at Sedan, a Republic was declared, but Paris was soon besieged by Prussian troops. The war touched the artists directly: the painter Bazille died in combat, and Alfred Sisley painted landscapes on the banks of the Seine that had recently been bloody battlefields, creating art that contemporaries recognized as scenes of trauma. NUMBER 3

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0:00.0	My place in tech changes every day, but I don't fear the future,
0:05.0	because I'm with the leader, Pluralsight.
0:08.0	Their online learning platform has the hands-on, expert-led courses I need
0:13.0	to master new tech skills and create bigger impact,
0:17.0	so I can learn quickly and stay ahead.
0:20.0	With Pluralsight, I don't quickly and stay ahead.
0:23.3	With Pluralsight, I don't fear what's next.
0:24.9	I embrace it.
0:28.3	Tap in at Pluralsight.com and see for yourself.
0:36.9	This is CBSI in the world.
0:38.1	I'm John Batchel.
0:41.1	Sebastian Smee, his new book is Paris and Ruins,
0:43.3	Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism.
0:45.7	Our hero and heroine,
0:48.7	Edward Mane, the Impressionist painter,
0:51.2	Bert Moro, the Impressionist painter.
0:54.8	However, they have childhoods that are influential.
1:01.7	We've talked about Baird, a painter, because her mother gave her lessons, and she's very good at it,
1:04.8	and she paints things around her, including her sister.
1:08.2	But Edward, where did painting come from with Edward?
1:09.6	Well, he's supposed to be at sea.
1:12.3	He's supposed to be a lieutenant by now.
	...

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