Rocked on their heels: how exhibitions can change the course of artists’ lives

Alyce Mahon's new book, *Dorothea Tanning: A Surrealist World*, explores how the 1936 MoMA exhibition *Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism* profoundly transformed the young artist Dorothea Tanning, who described being "rocked on my run-over heels" by the experience. The article also recounts similar life-changing exhibition encounters for contemporary artists Lorna Simpson and Hurvin Anderson, as discussed on *The Week in Art* and *A brush with…* podcasts, highlighting how specific shows shaped their artistic trajectories.

What You (Maybe) Didn't Know About Édouard Manet

Ce que vous ne saviez (peut-être) pas sur Édouard Manet

Édouard Manet (1832–1883), a pivotal figure bridging realism and impressionism, is the subject of a feature article in Beaux Arts Magazine. The piece explores lesser-known aspects of his life and career, including his near-miss as a naval officer, his rivalry with Gustave Courbet, his refusal to join the impressionist exhibitions despite close ties to the movement, and his deep fascination with Spanish culture. It highlights his scandalous works like *Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe* (1863) and *Olympia*, the latter entering the Louvre after a subscription launched by Claude Monet in 1889.

Why Did the Met Opera Decide to Exhume Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Marital Strife?

The Metropolitan Opera has staged Gabriela Lena Frank's first opera, *El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego*, which imagines a supernatural reunion between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera on Día de los Muertos. The production, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and starring Isabel Leonard and Carlos Álvarez, uses magical realism to explore the couple's turbulent relationship, though it largely sidelines their Communist activism and Kahlo's queer affairs in favor of a simplified reconciliation narrative.