A Realist View of the Nude

Manet’s Olympia (1865) was one of the most shocking works of art of its day. The central woman is not glamorously dressed or posed erotically; rather, she stares candidly and boldly at the viewer. The black maid offers the white woman, obviously a courtesan, flowers from an admirer. This scene was far too modern in its style and subject matter for most critics. (Edouard Manet [1832–1883] Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France / Bridgeman Images.)