Mother to snare a painter (5)
I believe the answer is:
manet
'a painter' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'mother to snare' is the wordplay.
'mother' becomes 'ma' (ma can mean mother).
'to snare' becomes 'net' (I've seen this in another clue).
'ma'+'net'='MANET'
(Other definitions for manet that I've seen before include "Edouard ___, painted Dejeuner sur l'herbe, d. 1883" , "artistic individual" , "Olympia artist" , "Edouard -- (artist)" , "Edouard - - (painter)" .)