Don't miss the opportunity to marvel at Manet

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/27/manet-royal-academy-blockbuster-exhibition

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The advent of a blockbuster exhibition offers as much diversion for people who like being grumpy as it does for the art lover. So the delivery of a crateful of more than 50 of Édouard Manet's portraits at the Royal Academy of Arts in London this weekend has naturally been trailed with complaints about high ticket prices, populism and potential overcrowding, along with discussion of the artist's radical technique and his invention of the modern character study.

Advance bookings for Manet were among the highest in the academy's recent history. The Piccadilly gallery swiftly had to arrange for Sunday night viewings, on top of the extended hours that have now become the norm for such big shows. A series of more exclusive viewings, drink included, for double the adult price at £30 a pop have also been set up. Happily, there will also be a number of tickets released each day for those who are prepared to take their chances in the cold.

And why not? Shared cultural moments such as these are not just commercial opportunities, although a regular bit of crowd-pleasing may surely be excused in the case of an institution such as the academy that has no annual public funding. The impact and significance of Manet's paintings transcends the hype and the fear of "gallery rage". This show is a chance to reappraise a talent and take part in a collective conversation. Just as we revisit the classics of literature, music and the theatre, so we can look again at Manet.

The Frenchman's style has had such an influence that he is part of our visual vocabulary. It is hard to imagine how new his blurred brushstrokes and his use of what <em>Observer</em> critic Laura Cumming calls "burning black" once were. Part of the pleasure of an exhibition is witnessing the moment when that particular picture is deliberately placed next to another one. When the circus comes to town, it is sometimes worth queuing up with your fellows, rather than simply grumbling about all the noise.