10 Facts About Zacharie Astruc

Zacharie Astruc was a French sculptor, painter, poet, and art critic.

Zacharie Astruc defended Monet, Whistler, Carolus-Duran, Fantin-Latour, and Alphonse Legros.

Zacharie Astruc had a very wide range of artistic interests, both in subject and in form.

Zacharie Astruc was a hispanophile, well versed in the art and literature of Spain.

Zacharie Astruc wrote a song dedicated to the Spanish dancer Lola de Valence in 1863, which was printed with a reproduction of a painting by Manet of de Valence as cover art.

Zacharie Astruc wrote a Japanese-influenced play, L'ile de la demoiselle, in 1865.

Zacharie Astruc was married to Ida Astruc, whose bust Manet sculpted in Spanish costume in 1877.

Zacharie Astruc was an important connecting figure in the French art world of the time, if not a hugely important artist in his own right, and can be seen in several notable artworks of the 1860s to 1880s.

Zacharie Astruc appears in Henri Fantin-Latour's painting A Studio at Les Batignolles, where he is seated next to Manet, who is shown painting his portrait.

Zacharie Astruc is generally credited with titling Manet's painting Olympia since an excerpt from an Zacharie Astruc poem was included in the catalogue entry with the piece when it was exhibited at the 1865 Salon.