| A Modern Olympia | |
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| Artist | Paul Cézanne |
| Year | c. 1873 |
| Medium | Oil on campus |
| Location | Musee d’Orsay, Paris, France |
| Dimensions | 18.1 x 21.9 in 46 x 55.5 cm |
| Famous Paintings by Cézanne | |
| Pyramid of Skulls | |
| The Bathers | |
| The Card Players | |
| The Basket of Apples | |
| Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier | |
| A Modern Olympia | |
| Complete Works |
A Modern Olympia, by Paul Cézanne, is an oil on canvas artwork presently owned by the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. It is a small painting that measures 18.11 by 21.9 inches. It was completed around 1873.
Style and Composition
Cezanne had tackled the subject in an earlier painting dating from 1870, when the painter had been inspired by Manet’s Olympia. By the time he addressed the subject again, his style had moved increasingly towards impressionism, which is demonstrated in this painting.
The painting depicts a naked, black servant dramatically removing a sheet from a bed, revealing Olympia who is also naked. In the foreground, a balding, bearded man is sitting on a couch watching the scene. It is almost certain that the man is Cézanne himself.
Controversy
As with Monet’s painting, this work was considered quite shocking at the time. Olympia was a name used to describe prostitutes in Paris. This blunt portrayal of what is seemingly a client visiting a prostitute attracted a lot of criticism from both the general public and art critics.