Skip to navigation | Skip to search
Manet, Music and Modern Life
Friday 1 February
Musicologist Gulliver Ralston brings musicians to the Royal Academy to perform and talk about the soundscapes of Manet's remarkable paintings.
Manet and the Paris Opera
Friday 15 February
Exhibition curator MaryAnne Stevens, Elaine Padmore OBE (Royal Opera House) and Christopher Cook (BBC) explore Manet and the music scene in mid-19th-century Paris.
Portraying Life
Friday 22 February
Concluding a collaboration with St. Christopher’s Hospice inspired by ‘Manet: Portraying Life’, Nigel Hartley (St Christopher’s Hospice) joins fashion designer Fanny Karst of The Old Ladies' Rebellion, 83-year-old supermodel Daphne Selfe, and Ari Seth Cohen, creator of the influential blog 'Advanced Style', to discuss how the processes of dying, ageing, or facing life-threatening illnesses can shift our presentation of self.
Facing Manet
Friday 8 March
Renowned contemporary photographer Rineke Dijkstra talks with art historian Professor Susan Sidlauskas (Rutgers University) about the continuing resonance between today's large format images and the portraits Edouard Manet painted 150 years ago.
From Paris to London: Cross-perspectives on Manet
Monday 11 March
MaryAnne Stevens, the curator of ‘Manet: Portraying Life’, and Stéphane Guégan, the curator of ‘Manet, the Man Who Invented Modernity’ at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, in 2011, share with us the discoveries they made while staging these ambitious exhibitions.
Institut Français, 17 Queensberry Place, SW7; 6–7pm; free, please reserve your seat via box.office@institutfrancais.org.uk
Engaging with Realism: Edouard Manet and George Bellows
Friday 22 March
The curators of ‘Manet: Portraying Life’ and ‘George Bellows’ – MaryAnne Stevens, Ann Dumas, and Charles Brock (National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC) – probe the two artists’ individual interpretations.
Fringe Benefits: Olympia’s Shawl and French Fashion
Friday 12 April
Manet’s most famous courtesan, Olympia, fingers a floral shawl as she gazes boldly at the viewer of the painting. Professor Therese Dolan (Temple University) illustrates how Manet skillfully employs the shawl’s economic and social status to connote levels of class and power in articulating Olympia’s sexual identity.
1–2pm; reserve a seat online or call 020 7300 5839
Manet and Professional Women: Claus, Meurent, Morisot
Monday 4 February
Kathleen Adler, Art Historian. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Manet: Portraying Life – Introduction to the Exhibition
Monday 11 February
MaryAnne Stevens, Exhibition Curator.
Manet and the Writers of his Time
Monday 4 March
Professor Robert Lethbridge, Master of Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge.
Life Drawing: Figure and Portrait
Saturday 26 January
or Saturday 23 February
Francis Bowyer, Life Drawing Tutor at the RA, leads a drawing workshop that develops the line from the nude figure to the clothed figure to portraiture. The class is designed for those with previous experience of drawing the figure, and takes place in the historic Life Room of the RA Schools.
Manet Family Workshop
Tuesday 19
and Thursday 21 February
Explore the art of portraiture, as seen in the ‘Manet’ exhibition, in a workshop comprising an interactive slide talk, a visit to the exhibition and a hands-on session.
Family Studio: Portraying Life
Sunday 17 March
Paint a portrait of one of your family members or carers, inspired by Edouard Manet’s 19th century portraiture
Exhibition Tours
45-minute introductory talks; free with an exhibition ticket.
2.30pm Wednesdays, 7pm Fridays (30 January – 5 April)
Spotlight Talks
10-minute talks on individual works; free with an exhibition ticket.
3pm on Thursdays
The Royal Academy offers an exciting programme of gallery visits and educational resources for teachers and students. Please call 020 7300 5995, email learning@royalacademy.org.uk or visit the website for further details.
The RA offers a range of access resources, including large print label guides and audio guides with descriptive tours, for use in the galleries. Access events can be booked online. Visitors with limited mobility can book parking spaces and wheelchairs on 020 7300 8028. Contact the Access Officer on tel/text 020 7300 5732, fax 020 7300 8013 or email access@royalacademy.org.uk
Early Morning Private View for Wheelchair Users
Friday 22 February
Explore the exhibition with an introductory tour led by Harry Baxter and Jonathan Huxley, followed by coffee and conversation in the Saloon.
Main Galleries; 9–11am; £3; volunteers support this event
Audio Description and Handling Event
Monday 18 March
Bridget Crowley describes the exhibition in front of selected artworks, followed by a multi-sensory handling session led by Harry Baxter.
Main Galleries; 9–11am; £3; refreshments provided
BSL and Lipspeaking Talks
Learning Studio; 6–7pm; £3 (incl. exhibition entry); booking essential;
Deaf Host Philip Nix supports these events
Interactive Lipspeaking Talk
Friday 1 February
Artist Abigail Hirsch delivers this interactive slide presentation with lipspeaking support from Vicky Waite in response to the ‘Manet’ exhibition.
Interactive BSL Talk
Friday 8 February
John Wilson leads this BSL tour of the ‘Manet’ exhibition.
InPerson at the RA: Events for Everyone with Additional Support Needs and their Friends
Friday 1 March
Come along to an evening curated by Harry and Zoe Baxter. This event can be adapted to everyone’s individual support needs and is followed by a visit to the exhibition.
Fine Rooms; 6–8pm; £5 (incl. refreshments)
