Flashcards for:
Lecture on Manet's Painting 'Olympia'

Laure, the servant, represents diversity in modern Paris and plays a significant role in the social narrative, contrasting with Olympia and representing modern life and interactions between different social classes.

Manet’s use of modern clothing and cultural references signifies the painting’s grounding in contemporary reality and its attention to the diversity and complexity of modern life.

'Olympia' challenges traditional academic art by subverting classical tropes, depicting a courtesan instead of a mythological figure, and rejecting formulaic techniques in favor of modern representation.

Manet modernized the tradition of female nudes by depicting a real, non-idealized woman with a direct, confronting gaze, identified as a courtesan, challenging the classical and mythological representations of the past.

The name 'Olympia' was commonly associated with prostitutes in Paris, reinforcing the subject's identity as a courtesan.

Baudelaire's call to paint modern life influenced Manet to depict contemporary subjects and realities, inventing a new vision of beauty that embraced honesty in materials, subjects, and the viewer's perceptions.

'Olympia' addresses the theme of the viewer's sexual interest by presenting an unapologetically direct and confronting gaze from Olympia, drawing attention to the voyeuristic aspect of viewing nudes.

Contemporary views consider 'Olympia' significant for its groundbreaking realism, its confrontation with traditional art forms, and its honest, critical representation of modern life and social structures.

Critics reacted viciously, describing Olympia as cadaver-like and criticizing the flatness and lack of modeling in her flesh. They felt challenged by the departure from traditional techniques and the painting's overt subject matter.

Olympia has asymmetrical facial features, thin lips, and a more realistic, less idealized representation. She appears as a real woman rather than a mythological figure.

The flatness rejects the illusion of depth, exposing the two-dimensionality of the canvas and challenging traditional representations by drawing attention to the painting as an object and the artist’s techniques.

Olympia's direct gaze confronts the viewer, breaking the typical passive convention of nudes, and emphasizes her status as a real, contemporary woman.

Elements reflecting modern life include the realistic portrayal of a black servant, the contemporary Parisian setting, and modern clothing with cultural references, such as Laure's Caribbean headwrap.

Manet depicts social differences by including Olympia's servant, Laure, handing her flowers from a customer, emphasizing the social roles and interactions between different classes.

Denise Morell's scholarship suggests that Laure, the black servant in 'Olympia', was likely from the Caribbean or Africa and highlights the lack of historical records on her identity.