Why it matters
Manet reworked Titian's Venus of Urbino as a modern Parisian courtesan whose confrontational gaze shocked the Salon of 1865. Every detail (the name, the orchid, the slipper, the black cat replacing Titian's faithful dog) told contemporary viewers exactly who she was.
Did you know?
- The model was 19-year-old Victorine Meurent; the maid was modelled by a woman called Laure.
- Claude Monet organised a public subscription so that the French state could buy it in 1890.
- The title is attributed to Manet's friend Zacharie Astruc.
Based on the Wikipedia article Olympia (Manet) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
