OLYMPIA by Édouard Manet (a painting of prostitution and scandal) - Musée d'Orsay in Paris
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- OLYMPIA by Édouard Manet (a painting of prostitution and scandal) - Musée d'Orsay in Paris
THIS VIDEO IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY
Olympia is a painting by the artist Édouard Manet and it is a painting about prostitution, scandal and racism. It was first exhibited at the 1865 Paris Salon.
As you can see, it shows a nude woman lying on a bed being brought flowers by a servant. The treatment of black people was still extremely racist.
But what shocked contemporary viewers was not Olympia's nudity, but her confrontational gaze and several details in the painting, which identify her as a demi-mondaine or prostitute.
"Olympia" is also a name which would have been associated with prostitutes in 1860s Paris. Something which would also have been shocking is that the painting is modelled on Titian's Venus of Urbino.
Manet has also replaced Venus’s the little dog in Titian's painting with a black cat. Dogs were considered a symbol of faithfulness whereas this cat is black - it would have been considered possibly unlucky and associated with nocturnal promiscuity. The cat looks alert, as though it’s about to attack. And this aroused cat is also thought to be provocative - in French, chatte (cat) is slang for female genitalia.
The fact her foot is sliding half out of the shoe is also an extremely erotic image. Another French portrait featuring shoes is “The Swing” by Fragonard, almost a hundred years earlier. It shows a lady being swung by an older man, possibly her cuckholded husband. Her shoe is flying through the air, towards her lover, who’s hiding in the bushes. Some critics says it’s a “disguised representation of inverted sexual intercourse.” This shoe could be interpreted similarly in Olympia. A woman in control of her sexual prowess.
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You did a great job covering that and not shying away from topics that others might.
The thought and depth in peoples art is really something else. The way in which ideas are communicated is amazing. Great video and hope to see many more in the future!
DukeDevlin1 definitely!
Excellent presentation! Great supplemental slides to illustrate points you make in your lecture. I have a lot to learn from you. --Paul Ewing, Professor of History (Emeritus, retired), Yavapai College, 1989-2017
Thank you very much, I really appreciate that. Are there any artists/works you'd like to see?
Great analysis! Nice comparisons with elements of other works. Definitely learned things I didn't know in spite of being being Manet fan. Subscribed! :)
Thank you! Great to have you on board x
Wonderful presentation! I enjoyed it so much.
Thank you - I'm so glad you enjoyed it
Keep up the good work! x
blane mcinarlin thank you, I will
This gal knows what she wants
Hahaha