MEURENT, Victorine Louise
1844-1885

A perfect artist's model, Victorine was apparently discovered by Manet in 1861-2 and appears in many of his paintings of the 1860's including Olympia. After a spell in America, she reappeared, posing again for Manet in 1873. She took up painting and exhibited at the Salon in 1876. She had a passionate affair with Alfred Stevens. Eventually she became an alcoholic and died in abject poverty.