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| Olympia (1863) – Edouard Manet This painting portrays a reclining nude lady with a maid in attendance. After it was first exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1865, a major scandal arose; not because of Olympia's modesty, but because there are a variety of specifics in the painting that identify her as a prostitute.These include the orchid in her head, the necklace, the pearl earrings, and the oriental shawl in which she lays. Interestingly, the artwork includes a black cat that has historically symbolized prostitution. Olympia was influenced by Titian's Venus of Urbino and many other paintings; but unlike these works, it did not represent a goddess or a court woman, but a high-class prostitute.The most prominent feature in sculpture is the confrontational look in Olympia, also referred to as the symbol of rebellion of the patriarchy. Manet's Olympia is probably the most popular nude of the 19th century.
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