"On June 19, 1864, the United States warship Kearsarge sank the Confederate raider Alabama off the coast of Cherbourg, France, in one of the most celebrated naval engagements of the American Civil War. When Kearsarge later anchored off the French resort town of Boulogne-sur-Mer it was thronged by curious visitors, one of whom was the artist Edouard Manet. Although he did not witness the historic battle, Manet made a painting of it partly as an attempt to regain the respect of his colleagues after having been ridiculed for his works in the 1864 Salon. Manet's picture of the naval engagement and his portrait of the victorious Kearsarge belong to a group of his seascapes of Boulogne whose unorthodox perspective and composition would profoundly influence the course of French painting." "Manet's paintings and watercolors related to the battle are considered in depth alongside numerous prints, photographs, letters, and archival newspaper illustrations that illuminate the history of the episode and in some cases dispel lingering misconceptions. Manet's other Boulogne seascapes are also discussed in terms of their complex chronology and evolution. A final chapter touches on some of the sources for the seascapes - from Old Master paintings to Japanese woodblock prints - and traces the influence of the seascapes on such artists as Gustave Courbet, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, and Claude Monet."--BOOK JACKET.

One of the most celebrated naval engagements of the American Civil War took place on June 19, 1864, when the United States warship Kearsarge sank the Confederate raider Alabama off the coast of Cherbourg, France. The Kearsarge later anchored off the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer where throngs of curious people flocked to see it, one of whom was the artist ©douard Manet (French, 1832¿́¿1883). Although he was not a witness to the battle, Manet painted the scene in an attempt to regain the respect of his colleagues after being ridiculed for his work in the 1864 Salon. Accompanying the Museum's exhibition, this publication takes a closer look at Manet's early experience of the sea, as well as provides a detailed narrative of the historic episode and the background of the two ships. In addition to Manet's paintings and watercolors, numerous prints, photographs, letters, and newspaper archives illuminate the stirring event. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website.