Olympia by Edouard Manet

Edouard Manet was born to a Parisian bourgeoisie family in1832. Even though Manet came from an established upper class he decided to portray the conditions of the lower class in his work. Manet felt that his art should reflect on the ideas and ideals of the present instead of the past. He helped the transition of realism to the art style of impressionism, which focused more on light and color as well as focusing on the meaning and composition of a scene rather than the straightforward depiction of realism.

This painting also resembled Titian's Venus of Urbino

Olympia 1863 was first viewed in the Salon of Paris in 1865and caused uproar between the upper class citizens that went to view it. The painting caused so much negative attention that guards had to be placed in front of the painting so that the painting wouldn’t be damaged.

- The woman in the bed was Monet’s favorite model to work with. Her name was Victorine Meurent; she was a Parisian prostitute.

· - The painting shows a nude women laying in bed.

· - She has one of her hands covering her private parts, a bow around her neck and one shoe on her left foot. Many historians speculate the obscurement of her private parts indicates a desire to either hide the woman's profession, or to metaphorically depict a sexual tension between the woman and the viewer of the piece.

· - An African-American maid is handing her flowers in a gleeful gesture, but the lady pays no attention

· - A black cat is at the end of the bed in either a stretching position or a warnful (angry) stance.
- Her mouth is half way between a smile and a straight face. Her eyes are black and you can almost feel no emotion within them.

· - Many people were also filled with that Manet gave the courtesan a beautiful face and put her in the setting of Luxury as went against what normal society thought of people of that profession. Her surroundings is lavish with many pillows, curtains, as well as a large bed. The setting is strange due to her profession as a prostitute.