Olympia is a painting that was created by Edouard Manet in 1863 and exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1865. The painting portrays a reclining nude woman who is attended to by a maid and black cat, while gazing at the viewer. Modeled by Victorine Meurent, who also posed for The Luncheon on the Grass, Olympia caused scandal due to its strong and uncompromising technique that challenged traditional themes of female nudes.
Manet was known for bringing Realism into his art by posing curiosity about social mores. He rejected the ideals of Renaissance Art that previously dominated the art world, resulting in giving birth to impressionism as an artistic movement. Olympia’s formal style depicted her not as a goddess or a mythical figure but rather as an everyday woman borrowing inspiration from traditional symbolism while showcasing common popular culture.
The painting has become iconic in art history and can be seen at Musée d’Orsay in Paris today. Olympia continues to draw attention from various people today because it represents how Manet utilized new techniques during his time period, such as playing with light and shadow depth to create realism without overconcentration on detail like previous artists had done before him.
