4.9/5
The Bold Gaze of Victorine Meurent in 1863
A pale nude woman reclines on a bed of white sheets and pillows. She stares directly at you with a cool, unblinking look. The scene is filled with subtle details:
- A pink flower sits in her hair.
- A thin black ribbon with a pearl circles her neck.
The model Victorine Meurent posed for Olympia, while Laure posed as the maid. [1]
This bold masterpiece by Édouard Manet was painted in 1863. [1] He drew stylistic and conceptual inspiration from Titian's Venus of Urbino. [2] Yet he stripped away the soft goddess mythology to show a real Parisian woman. She lies on an embroidered silk shawl, with one pale slipper resting on the rumpled bed.
Laure and the Paris Salon Scandal of 1865
Behind the bed, a Black woman leans forward to present a large bouquet of colorful flowers wrapped in white paper. She wears a pale pinkish-white dress and a white head wrap. A red drop earring hangs from her ear. Laure served as the focal point for the 2018 exhibition Posing Modernity: The Black Model From Manet and Matisse to Today. [3]
Notebook entries by Édouard Manet record that Laure lived at 11, Rue de Vintimille in Paris. [4] She modeled for three different paintings by Édouard Manet. [4] At the foot of the bed, a small, jet-black cat stands upright with its tail raised and glowing yellow-green eyes. The first public display of this scene happened at the 1865 Paris Salon. [1]
The exhibition caused an uproar because of its bold style. The title of the artwork is widely attributed to Zacharie Astruc. [2] The French government acquired the painting in 1890 through a public subscription led by Claude Monet. [1] Since 1986, this historic treasure has been housed at the Musée d'Orsay. [2]
Choosing the Perfect Size of Olympia for Your Wall
This masterpiece belongs in the gallery of the world's most historic masterworks. If you want to bring its bold energy into your home, our hand-painted olympia reproduction is crafted with care. Our artists recreate each detail brushstroke-by-brushstroke. They use oil on museum-grade linen canvas to capture the deep charcoal greys and creamy ivory whites of the original.
We offer seven sizes to fit your room. You can purchase this artwork starting from $350, with framing options including unframed, stretched canvas, or classic and modern frames. If you need a specific size to match your wall, you can choose a custom length and width. We can paint this horizontal work in any dimensions you choose.
You can also explore our reproduction of Victorine Meurent to see the same famous model. We also offer his other controversial work with our reproduction of The Luncheon on the Grass. Discover every Édouard Manet oil painting reproduction in our gallery, as well as many other classic art from the Realist movement.
