Olympia
1863 Musée d'Orsay
About this artwork
This oil on canvas painting depicts a nude woman reclining on a bed while a servant delivers a bouquet of flowers. It was painted in 1863 and is housed in the Musée d'Orsay.
Did you know?
When 'Olympia' was first exhibited at the 1865 Paris Salon, it caused a massive public scandal. Viewers were shocked not by the nudity itself, but by the subject's direct, defiant gaze and the implication that she was a contemporary courtesan rather than a mythological figure. It remains one of the most pivotal works in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.
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Olympia
Édouard Manet, 1863
