Venus and Olympia
Just as The Birth of Venus perfectly depicts the style of Renaissance art works, Manet’s controversial Olympia is classic example of the transition into the Realism art movement. Their similarities and differences along with the clearly drawn inspiration makes for a very interesting dynamic:
Nudity
Botticelli depicted Venus’s status with the use of nudity which was often representative of innocence during the Renaissance art movement. The colors used in this painting created depth through chiaroscuro and emphasized depth with a wide selection of colors. The mythological depiction suggests that the scene is holier-than-thou or far from realistic so innocence is more possible in this fictitious scene. In Olympia, however, Manet strayed from the use of chiaroscuro and used a lighter palette to bring emphasis with lights rather than the contrasting darks of shadows to push forward figures. This creates a flatter image which contributes to a more photo-like scene. Viewers connect their own lives more with color schemes like this and therefore, Olympia’s confident sexuality rejects innocence.
Composition
The space between figures in Venus also adds to her sense of innocence. Because she seems further away from those around her, viewers can see that she is “above” them in the sense that she is again, holy. Olympia, however, is so comfortable in her nudity, that she doesn’t even change positions for her maid.
Flowers
The use of natural symbolism was very significant to Renaissance art. Often symbolizing femininity and beauty, the flowers floating forward in The Birth of Venus contribute to the figure’s divinity and connection to love. There are also flowers on the dress of the woman running to clothe Venus, which could mean that Botticelli was suggesting that by covering herself up, Venus will connect even more with true beauty in modesty.
Surroundings
The maid carrying the flowers in for Olympia, however, portrays a very different symbol. It can be assumed that this bouquet is a gift from a lover of Olympia so her unmoved reaction portrays the idea that a man is not important or necessary to her. This could mean that she is simply confident with herself even when alone or that she has already had so many lovers, that this newest one is insignificant. Many art historians also believe that this gift, along with the presence of her jewelry and cat, means that she is a sex worker. So these symbols also present the idea that she is financially independent and completely self-sufficient which greatly differs from Venus’s complete dependency on those around her who provide security through clothing and flowers.
Position
Manet was inspired greatly by Venus’s stature and used similar hand placement with a very different intention. While Venus is delicately covering her intimate areas as a shield, viewers are reminded of her newness. Her hands fall gently almost as if she is discovering, for the first time, her body. Contrastingly, even with similar positioning, Olympia’s hands depict her confidence yet again. She lies relaxed on her bed with her hands laid specifically to almost highlight her sexuality rather than hide it. The deliberate placement reminds viewers of her experience rather than her modesty like in Venus.
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