The naked lady that changed the rules of art

Western art followed the same rules for centuries. Until Olympia.

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For centuries, the art world was controlled by the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris. They dictated how art should look and had the power to make or break an artist’s career. Getting into their yearly exhibition, the Paris Salon, was like an express pass to success. But in the late 1800s, artists started to push back against the Academy’s rules, which changed the landscape of the art world forever.

To learn more about Manet’s Olympia, listen to the ArtCurious Podcast’s episode about the painting:

Or read Charles Bernheimer’s “Manet's Olympia: The Figuration of Scandal”:

And if you want to learn more about Manet, the Impressionists, or just brush up on your art historical terms, check out The Oxford Companion to Western Art:

Note: The headline for this video has been updated since publishing.
Previous headline: The scandalous painting that helped create modern art

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