Stéphane Mallarmé was a symbolist poet who met Manet in 1873. They collaborated on a number of books, including an illustrated edition of Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven'. He was a staunch defender of Manet, and, after the painter had died, a lover of Mery Laurent.
"The reproach that superficial people formulate against Manet, that whereas once he painted ugliness, now he paints vulgarity, falls harmlessly to the ground, when we recognize the fact that he paints the truth."
