Artwork Information

Manet’s painting of Olympia turned Paris into an uproar when it was displayed at the Salon des Refusés in 1865. While it was acceptable to depict contemporary courtesans in the guise of Venus, it was unthinkable to show an identifiable woman, even if given the title of a goddess. The model was Victorine Meurent, whose determined gaze shocked the men who, while perhaps her private clients, did not want it advertised to their wives, mothers and daughters in a public display. (Impressions of Time and Place, 2002)