Art remains to be great way for humankind to record events and give different generations and civilizations a picture of what their culture and era was like. Visual representation has been a method that humans have been using throughout millennia. A notable thing is the different techniques that they use despite current technology.
Venus was a favorite subject especially when portraying nudes. Another notable thing with traditional art is how they are so incredibly life like. Pieces made during this time barely showed brush strokes even when painting using oil, which is a very thick medium. Manet was that one artist that defied all things traditional with his oil painting Olympia.
The thing is that he made a mockery out of the Venus of Urbino painting . Although this stand against conventionality spurred a more modern take on art. Olympia has a great story behind it which makes the work very revolutionary. It was Manet showing the honesty of human beauty on canvas. It was as if he was saying that we are humans so why not look upon our own beauty and not that of goddesses.
Instead of Venus, her being a symbol of greatness and purity, he used Olympia. The setting was in France 1865. Around the time, the name Olympia was common among prostitutes and to support that claim, you can see a black choker around her neck which was a sign that would tell people what a woman did for a living.
Manet probably was not doing this for shock value. Notice that this is no ordinary prostitute since she has a servant handing her some flowers. The flowers look like they came from a suitor or a patron. Nudes then of goddesses and historical figures were not vulgar, but rather, coy. This one, in particular, was a great exception at the time.
It gives you the impression that this era of France was hung up on the convoluted perception of beauty and the standard was that of royalty or deity. One thing that makes the subject stand out is how it deliberately stares at you, straight in the eye, as if it was coaxing you for looking at her. Most nudes of Venus made during this time always had the subject looking away, if even at all.
The rawness and honesty was not welcomed by the its viewers, although its revolutionary nature made the piece an obra maestra. The painter wanted to make sure that there is little visual depth to really emphasize to its viewers that this was artwork and not something you use to blur the lines between what is real and imagination.
The piece is a cross between abstraction and tradition which encouraged modern art. There was lesser pressure to perfection. This is evident on the asymmetry of features you can see on the subject. The detail is essentially on the hands and the feet which seems peculiar, instead of focusing on the bosom and the womb.
Revolutionary is what this piece became when released to the public during its time. And like any work made for that purpose, was met with disdain, laughter and criticism. Manet effectively broke tradition and was unapologetic about showing his perspective on reality. France of 1865 was not ready to face the truth that the goddess they come to know has been reduced into a courtesan, especially one that stares you dead straight in the eye.
Venus was a favorite subject especially when portraying nudes. Another notable thing with traditional art is how they are so incredibly life like. Pieces made during this time barely showed brush strokes even when painting using oil, which is a very thick medium. Manet was that one artist that defied all things traditional with his oil painting Olympia.
The thing is that he made a mockery out of the Venus of Urbino painting . Although this stand against conventionality spurred a more modern take on art. Olympia has a great story behind it which makes the work very revolutionary. It was Manet showing the honesty of human beauty on canvas. It was as if he was saying that we are humans so why not look upon our own beauty and not that of goddesses.
Instead of Venus, her being a symbol of greatness and purity, he used Olympia. The setting was in France 1865. Around the time, the name Olympia was common among prostitutes and to support that claim, you can see a black choker around her neck which was a sign that would tell people what a woman did for a living.
Manet probably was not doing this for shock value. Notice that this is no ordinary prostitute since she has a servant handing her some flowers. The flowers look like they came from a suitor or a patron. Nudes then of goddesses and historical figures were not vulgar, but rather, coy. This one, in particular, was a great exception at the time.
It gives you the impression that this era of France was hung up on the convoluted perception of beauty and the standard was that of royalty or deity. One thing that makes the subject stand out is how it deliberately stares at you, straight in the eye, as if it was coaxing you for looking at her. Most nudes of Venus made during this time always had the subject looking away, if even at all.
The rawness and honesty was not welcomed by the its viewers, although its revolutionary nature made the piece an obra maestra. The painter wanted to make sure that there is little visual depth to really emphasize to its viewers that this was artwork and not something you use to blur the lines between what is real and imagination.
The piece is a cross between abstraction and tradition which encouraged modern art. There was lesser pressure to perfection. This is evident on the asymmetry of features you can see on the subject. The detail is essentially on the hands and the feet which seems peculiar, instead of focusing on the bosom and the womb.
Revolutionary is what this piece became when released to the public during its time. And like any work made for that purpose, was met with disdain, laughter and criticism. Manet effectively broke tradition and was unapologetic about showing his perspective on reality. France of 1865 was not ready to face the truth that the goddess they come to know has been reduced into a courtesan, especially one that stares you dead straight in the eye.
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