Olympia by Manet

Illustration

Mark Cartwright
by Musée d'Orsay
published on 11 March 2022
Olympia by Manet Download Full Size Image

The 1863 oil on canvas painting, Olympia, by Edouard Manet (1832-83), the French modernist painter. The painting was exhibited in the 1865 Salon in Paris and shocked the art world for its presentation of a contemporary courtesan fully nude and with an unabashed stare. Her nudity is accentuated by the black choker while the black cat was a known symbol of desire. The figure is Manet’s long-time model Victorine Meurent. Manet employs several innovations: he uses unusual colours, the two figures seem to move towards the viewer, and the composition is given a certain flatness. (Musée d'Orsay, Paris)

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APA Style

d'Orsay, M. (2022, March 11). Olympia by Manet. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15389/olympia-by-manet/

Chicago Style

d'Orsay, Musée. "Olympia by Manet." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 11, 2022. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15389/olympia-by-manet/.

MLA Style

d'Orsay, Musée. "Olympia by Manet." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 11 Mar 2022. Web. 13 May 2024.

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