Olympia Manet. The most scandalous painting of the XIX century

"Olympia" by Edouard Manet is one of the most famous works of the artist. Now everyone knows that this is a masterpiece. And once visitors to the exhibition spat at her. Once upon a time, critics warned the faint of heart and pregnant women against watching it. And the model who posed for Manet has earned a reputation as an accessible woman. Although it wasn't.

Read more about the painting in the article “Why Olympia Manet was ridiculed by his contemporaries”

Also read about the most interesting paintings by Manet in the articles:

“Why did Manet paint a still life with an asparagus stalk?”

Edouard Manet Plums and Murder Mystery

“Friendship of Edouard Manet with Degas and two torn paintings”

site "Diary of painting: in each picture - history, fate, mystery".

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Olympia by Edouard Manet (1863) is one of the artist's most famous works. Now almost no one argues that this is a masterpiece. But 150 years ago, it created an unimaginable scandal.

Visitors to the exhibition literally spat at the picture! Critics warned pregnant women and the faint of heart against viewing the canvas. For they risked experiencing extreme shock from what they saw.

It would seem that nothing foreshadowed such a reaction. After all, Manet was inspired by the classic work for this work. Titian's "Venus of Urbino". Titian, in turn, was inspired by the work of his teacher Giorgione "Sleeping Venus".

In the middle: Titian. Venus Urbinskaya. 1538 Uffizi Gallery, Florence. At the bottom: Giorgione. Venus is sleeping. 1510 Old Masters Gallery, Dresden.

Nude bodies in painting

Both before Manet and during the time of Manet, there were plenty of naked bodies on the canvases. At the same time, these works were perceived with great enthusiasm.

"Olympia" was shown to the public in 1865 at the Paris Salon (the most important exhibition in France). And 2 years before that, the painting by Alexander Cabanel “The Birth of Venus” was exhibited there.

The work of Cabanel was received with enthusiasm by the public. The beautiful naked body of the goddess with a languid look and flowing hair on a 2-meter canvas is few who can be left indifferent. The painting was bought on the same day by Emperor Napoleon III.

Why did Olympia Manet and Venus Cabanel produce such different reactions from the public?

Manet lived and worked in the era of Puritan morals. Admiring the naked female body was extremely indecent. However, this was allowed if the depicted woman was as less real as possible.

Therefore, artists were so fond of depicting mythical women, such as the goddess Venus Cabanel. Or Oriental women, mysterious and inaccessible, such as Ingra's Odalisque.

3 extra vertebrae and a sprained leg for the sake of beauty

It is clear that the models who posed for both Cabanel and Ingres, in reality, had more modest external data. Artists frankly embellished them.

At least that's evident with Ingres' Odalisque. The artist added 3 extra vertebrae to his heroine in order to stretch the camp and make the curve of the back more spectacular. Odalisque's arm is also unnaturally elongated to harmonize with the elongated back. In addition, the left leg is unnaturally twisted. In reality, it cannot lie at such an angle. Despite this, the image turned out to be harmonious, although very unrealistic.

Too frank realism of Olympia

Manet went against all the above rules. His Olympia is too realistic. Before Manet, perhaps, he only wrote Francisco Goya. He portrayed his mahu nude albeit pleasant in appearance, but clearly not a goddess.

Maha is a representative of one of the lowest classes in Spain. She, like Olympia Manet, looks at the viewer confidently and a little defiantly.

Manet also depicted an earthly woman instead of a beautiful mythical goddess. Moreover, a prostitute who looks at the viewer with an appraising and confident look. Olympia's black maid holds a bouquet of flowers from one of her clients. This further emphasizes what our heroine does for a living.

The appearance of the model, called ugly by contemporaries, is in fact simply not embellished. This is the appearance of a real woman with its own shortcomings: the waist is barely distinguishable, the legs are a little short without the seductive steepness of the hips. The protruding belly is not hidden by thin thighs.

It was the realism of the social status and appearance of Olympia that so outraged the public.

Another Courtesan Manet

Manet has always been a pioneer, as Francisco Goya in my time. He tried to find his own way in creativity. He strove to take the best from the work of other masters, but he never engaged in imitation, but created his own, authentic. Olympia is a prime example of this.

Manet and subsequently remained true to his principles, trying to depict modern life. So, in 1877 he paints the picture "Nana". Written in impressionist style. On it, a woman of easy virtue powders her nose in front of a client waiting for her.

Another Olympia, modern

Incidentally, in Musée d'Orsay another Olympia is kept. It was written by Paul Cezanne, who was very fond of the work of Edouard Manet.

Olympia Cezanne was called even more outrageous than Olympia Manet. However, “the ice has broken”. Soon the public willy-nilly have to abandon their puritanical views. The great masters of the 19th and 20th centuries will contribute a lot to this.

So, bathers and commoners Edgar Degas will continue the new tradition of showing the life of ordinary people. And not just goddesses and noble ladies in frozen poses.

And already Olympia Manet does not seem shocking to anyone.

Read about the masterpiece in the article “Paintings by Manet. 5 paintings by a master with Columbus blood”.

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Main illustration: Edouard Manet. Olympia. 1863. Musée d'Orsay, Paris.