Description
Édouard Manet’s Olympia meets the viewer with a direct, steady gaze. The reclining woman’s pale skin and white bedding stand sharply against the dark background, while an attendant holding flowers introduces another presence at the bedside. A black cat, delicate accessories, and the patterned textile add small but vivid details to the spare, forceful composition.
Painted in 1863 and exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1865, Olympia challenged the conventions of the idealized nude by presenting a recognizably contemporary woman with uncompromising immediacy. Manet’s firm contrasts and frank treatment make the encounter feel unusually close. The original is held by the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
Read our guide to giclée prints, browse more Édouard Manet prints, or explore Olympia (large plate).
