| EDUARD MANET (Paris 1832 - 1883) OLYMPIA Etching, and aquatint, 1867; Harris 53. This is the second etched version of the famous painting of 1863. A very good impression of the sixth state of six; with full margins, the paper slightly toned, otherwise in very good condition. To the platemark 86 x 177 mm, the entire sheet measuring 200 x 264 mm. Born into a prosperous Parisian household, Manet studied with Couture between 1850 and 1856. His subjects were drawn from contemporary life, often from its lower ranks. He first exhibited at the Salon in 1861, but two years later he showed at the Salon des Refusés. 'Shocking' was the word used to describe Edouard Manet's Olympia when it was first unveiled in Paris in 1865. The objections to Olympia had more to do with the realism of the subject matter than the fact that the model was nude. The painting raised an unusually violent storm of protest. After 1870 Manet adopted an Impressionist technique and palette and treated more lighthearted subjects than during the previous decade; nevertheless, he refused to take part in the Impressionist exhibitions organized by Degas. Baudelaire and Zola eventually became his friends and defenders, but the official recognition he longed for came to Manet only in the year before his death, when he was awarded the Legion of Honor. |
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