While nudes were accepted artistic subjects at the time, it was strictly within the context of mythic or allegorical works. Critics were scandalized first by the subject: A prostitute receiving flowers from one of her clients. If anything, its 1865 exhibition shocked the public even more than its predecessor, so much so that the painting had to remain under watch until it could be moved out of their reach. Interestingly enough, while “Déjeuner” failed to be accepted by the Paris Salons, “Olympia” was not. An emerald velvet curtain is pulled back to reveal Olympia-a name commonly used by prostitutes at the time-reclining on a bed facing the viewer while a black female servant presents her with a large bouquet of flowers and a black cat stands at her feet. The lounging position of the nude in "Déjeuner" is echoed in "Olympia," although in the latter she is the central figure. The painting is clearly linked to "Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe" (1863), another scandalous painting depicting two men having a picnic in a park with a naked woman as a scantily dressed bather relaxes behind them. "Olympia" (1863) formed a clear departure from still lifes of dead rabbits. Yet the question still remains-more than a century and a half later, is it still as provocative as when it debuted?įrench painter Édouard Manet (1832-1883), one of the originators of Impressionism, was known during his lifetime for painting portraits, marine landscapes, still lifes, and scenes of Parisian life with a unique style of brisk strokes. Countless features and papers have discussed it because it is quite simply one of the most controversial works of the 19th century, so much so that guards have been forced to protect the painting from irate viewers. More than 150 years after it was painted, Édouard Manet's "Olympia" continues to astonish viewers with its subject’s challenging gaze and overt sexuality.
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