obtenir des poses contraires a leurs habitudes, auxquelles ils se refusaient. Les modeles connus qui avaient vu les morceaux faits d'apres leurs torses conduire certains eleves a l'ecole de Rome, alors la supreme recompense, et qui dans leur orgueil s'attribuaient presqu'une part du succes, se revoltaient de voir un tout jeune homme ne leur temoigner aucun respect. Il parait que fatigue de l'eternelle etude du nu, Manet aurait essaye de draper et meme d'habiller les modeles, ce qui aurait cause parmi eux une veritable indignation." It was in 1863 that the storm of popular fury burst over Manet's head, on the exhibition of his first important picture, painted three years before, generally known as _Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe_. This wonderful canvas was something so new and so surprising that it was rejected by the jury of the Salon. But in company with less conspicuous though equally unacceptable pieces by such men as Bracquemond, Cazin, Fantin-Latour, Harpignies, Jongkind, J. P. Laurens, Le Gros, Pissarro, Vollon, and Whistler, it was accorded an exhibition, alongside the official Salon, which was called _le Salon des refuses_. Being the largest and most conspicuous work shown, it attracted no less attention than if it had been officially hung, and probably much more. "Ainsi ce Dejeuner sur l'herbe," says M. Duret, "venait-il faire comme une enorme tache. Il donnait la sensation de quelquechose outre. Il heurtait la vision. Il produisait, sur les yeux du public de ce temps, l'effet de la pleine lumiere sur les yeux du hibou." There was more than one reason for this remarkable picture surprising and shocking the sensibilities of the public. It represents a couple of men in everyday bourgeois costume, one sitting and the other reclining on the grass under trees, while next to one of them is seated a young woman, her head turned to the spectator, in no costume at all. A profusion of _articles de dejeuner_ is beside her, and it is evident that they are only waiting to arrange the meal till a second young woman, who is seen bathing in the near background, is ready to join them. The subject and composition are reminiscent of Giorgione's beautiful and famous _Fete Champetre_, in the Louvre, and Manet quite frankly and in quite good faith pleaded Giorgione as his precedent when assailed on grounds of good taste. But unfortunately he had not put his male figures in "fancy dress," and the public could hardly be expected to realise that Giorgione had not, either. As for the painting, it was a revelation. He had broken every canon of tradition--and yet it was a marvellous success!