Olympia (published plate)
1867
Medium
Etching; second state of six
Dimensions
plate: 3 3/8 x 8 1/8in. (8.6 x 20.6cm) sheet: 3 7/8 x 8 1/2in. (9.8 x 21.6cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1983
Accession Number
1983.1093
Tags
Art Historical Context
Edouard Manet's *Olympia (published plate)* is a striking etching from 1867, the second state of six, his scandalous 1863 oil painting that shocked Paris at the Salon. The original depicted a nude courtesan boldly confronting the viewer, flanked by a black servant offering flowers and a watchful cat—elements echoed here in tags like female nudes, animals, men, and flowers. This print captureset's modernist challenge to academic traditions, transforming the provocative reclining Venus into a contemporary symbol of urban life and female agency. As an etching, this work showcases Manet's mastery...
About the Artist
Edouard Manet · 1832–1883
Édouard Manet (1832-1883) was a French painter who played a pivotal role in the transition from Realism to Impressionism, often called the 'Father of Modern Art.' Born into a wealthy Parisian family, Manet defied his father's wishes for a legal career to pursue painting, studying under academic artist Thomas Couture. His revolutionary works 'Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe' and 'Olympia' (both 1863) scand...