When this work by Manet was first exhibited in 1865 at the Paris Salon, it provoked very mixed reactions. Several spectators considered the painting obscene and vulgar because it clearly depicted a prostitute, an absolutely scandalous subject for the respectable bourgeoisie of the 19th century.
You should know that the painter was inspired by a very famous painting by Titian, the Venus of Urbino, now exhibited in the Uffizi in Florence, where the goddess of beauty is depicted as a young woman, elegantly lying on a bed, with a small dog at her feet, a symbol of marital fidelity. But Olympia deviates enormously from the subject matter that inspired it and from the canons of beauty idealized by Manet's predecessors.
If you look carefully at the work, you can discover all the clues to the protagonist's profession, starting with the name Olympia, at the time widely used as a stage name by dancers and prostitutes. Then there are the bouquet of flowers, probably a gift from an admirer; the black cat at the girl's feet, an erotic symbol linked to female sexuality; the orchid in the girl's hair, the jewelry and the heeled sandal representing sensuality. If you look closely at the bed, moreover, you will notice that it is clearly unmade, and Olympia is portrayed in a pose reminiscent of some of the risqué postcards that circulated illegally at the time.
Manet was not only criticized on the subject of the painting, but also on the painting technique. According to its detractors, the protagonist's body was flat because the colors and dark highlights did not emphasize the three-dimensionality of body shapes.
Moreover, the stark contrast between the dark background, where several very dark colors are juxtaposed, as well as the juxtaposition of only light colors in the lower part of the painting, such as the girl's white skin on the white sheets, was not appreciated.
Finally, the bouquet of flowers is barely sketched, with brushstrokes of overlapping colors that, from close up, almost look like a set of disordered patches of color, a technique that would later be extolled by the Impressionists, who were inspired by Manet himself.
Fortunately, there were also artists who appreciated the work, such as the writer Émile Zola, an exponent of naturalism who wanted psychological and social reality at the center of art, without moral filters.
Here’s an interesting fact: Some visitors to the Paris Salon were so shocked at the sight of this painting that they tried to destroy it. To prevent damage, it was necessary to station two policemen to guard the work.
Language: English