Spectacular!

Olympia: Oil on canvas painting by Édouard Manet in the Realism style. Painted in 1863, it measures 130.5 by 190 centimeters. Inspired by Diego Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus, Titian’s Venus of Urbino.

Olympia is a painting of a high class prostitute. The orchid in her hair, her bracelet, pearl earrings and the oriental shawl on which she lies, symbols of wealth and sensuality. The black ribbon around her neck, her cast-off slipper and the black cat at the bottom of the bed, symbols prostitution. Olympia is an independent woman and very aware of her sexual dominance over men. Manet symbolizes this in the way the wall leads to her sex which she is firmly protecting with her hand. As if she is saying, here I am, here it is and I decide if you can have it. In the background a black servant presents Olympia with a gift, probably from a client, which she ignores.

At the first exhibit in Paris this painting created a uproar. It was tagged immoral and vulgar my many. If this was immoral and vulgar I wonder what they would call Mtv today. Though Olympia was requested to be destroyed it managed to survive and is now in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, for all to view.

To me Olympia is a feminist. If she is real or not the idea of being so vulnerable is. Vulnerable as in broadcasting to the world that she is a prostitute and beautiful. She portrays a very strong independence that one could admire. Most of us view prostitutes as being “bad” but when you look at someone in this raw vulnerable light they are just like anyone else. The detail Manet puts in this painting is magnificent. From the detail of the subjects to the detail in the subjects is breathtaking!

This painting is beautiful and speaks of the time, which it’s self is beautiful. How we have evolved together, the good and bad, is art to my eyes.