 Even though this painting was accepted by the Salon in 1865, Manet again shocked the public and critics. On the surface this painting appears to be a formal nude within the traditions of Western art. Oylmpia's power lay in her gaze: while most nudes were anonymous figures or nymphs- Manet painted a courtesan as a courtesan.
What made Olympia doubly disturbing was her real identity- Victorine Meurent. She was a person of strong character and well known in Paris.
To his critics Manet replied, "I painted what I saw."
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