The first articles in support of Manet, written by Zola, appeared in 1865. Gradually, Zola replaced Baudelaire, who was then standing on the edge of the grave, in the role of protector and “interpreter” of his paintings. In 1867, he wrote the text of a booklet issued for the personal exhibition Manet.
This text was the first attempt to seriously analyze the work of the artist. Zola praised Mane for his commitment to realism. Both the artist and the writer were equally interested in details, details, shades of feelings. They were brought together by a strong attachment to Japanese engraving and Spanish painting. Portrait of Zola caused a mixed reaction of critics.
The artist was accused of confusing genres by presenting a typical still life as a portrait. However, the “models” liked the work, which cannot be said about the process of posing. “I remember those long hours,” Zola later recalled. “My legs and arms went numb… Sometimes I threw a mournful glance at the artist and saw the detached face of a man who had gone into his work. He generally forgot that it was me, and wrote me the way any other living creature would have written, with skill and skill that I had not seen before. “