in 1856, manet opened his own studio. culo of the best known french painters of that time was gustave courbet who painted in a style known as realism. courbet, in his pictures, tried to show the life of the poor working people of the farms and villages. manet began to paint beggars, singers and people in cafes. his style was not like courbet's because he used large brushstrokes without much detail. courbet's paintings were dark and somber because he painted all his canvases brown before he put the figures in. manet's paintings were brighter and lighter, with lots of white paint and often small parts painted in bright blue and red