The lounging position of the nude in 'Déjeuner' is echoed in 'Olympia,' although in the latter she is the central figure.
The painting is clearly linked to 'Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe' (1863), another scandalous painting depicting two men having a picnic in a park with a naked woman as a scantily dressed bather relaxes behind them.
'Olympia' (1863) formed a clear departure from still lifes of dead rabbits.
Yet the question still remains-more than a century and a half later, is it still as provocative as when it debuted?įrench painter Édouard Manet (1832-1883), one of the originators of Impressionism, was known during his lifetime for painting portraits, marine landscapes, still lifes, and scenes of Parisian life with a unique style of brisk strokes. Countless features and papers have discussed it because it is quite simply one of the most controversial works of the 19th century, so much so that guards have been forced to protect the painting from irate viewers.
More than 150 years after it was painted, Édouard Manet's 'Olympia' continues to astonish viewers with its subject’s challenging gaze and overt sexuality.
