Manet Manet was a French painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, and a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism . Monet was a founder of French impressionism painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to painting outdoor and landscape painting. Renoir Renoir was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the impressionism style. Degas Degas was a French artist famous for his paintings, sculptures, prints , and drawings. He is especially identified with the subject of dance.