Olympia
When Manet exhibited Olympia at the Paris Salon in 1865, it caused an immediate sensation. Although it was immediately condemned as “immoral” and “vulgar” by conservative critics, it was lauded by critics such as Emile Zola, the French writer, who proclaimed the painting to be Manet’s masterpiece. Unlike Titian’s Venus de Urbino or Giorgione’s Sleeping Venus, both of which were sources of inspiration for Olympia, Manet’s work was overtly sexual. The small bits of clothing, such as the orchid in her hair, jewelry, and the mule slippers, in addition to the fully clothed servant, seem to make the figure seem even more nude. Her confrontational gaze was an affront to the perfunctory modesty with which women were supposed to behave.
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