“La Grande Odalisque” and Manet’s “Olympia” Essay

This essay is canvass creates of reclining female b atomic number 18s thru the history of art. Ingres La Grande Odalisque and Manets Olympia a ComparisonThe reclining female nude has been a recurring image in the history of European art. Each artist through with(predicate) time approaches the assailable in a different, individualized way. An earlier example of the reclining nude is Giorgiones Sleeping Venus, created around 1510(see fig. 1). His nude is painted using the clair obscur method with soft, blurred lines, making her fair skin fade slowly into the blasphemous reach. Her eyes are closed, giving an aura of innocence, because she is unaware of being observed. Also, Giorgione faces to be experimenting with background in the painting. When examining the painting as a whole, one does non simply see the reclining work, but the diverse and unusual background also attracts the eye. The fact that the background is open is a certain indication of immaculateal twine on this Renaissance artist.Later, in 1796, Goya began his version of the reclining nude, The nude painting Maja(see fig. 2). This painting was ahead of its time, in the respect that the Spanish society was not ready to view this obscene image. She was considered obscene because of her provocative position of frontal nudity, and because this is the root time a nude has been painted in awareness of the painter her gaze is focused outward. slightly thirty years later, in 1814, Ingres paints La Grande Odalisque(see fig. 3). She, like Goyas Maja was rejected at start-off by society, but for different reasons. She was not rejected because she was obscene, but because her body was an unnatural shape her eagle-eyed back does not seem proportional to her small head. One critic of Ingres said, She has three vertebrae too galore(postnominal)Ingres nude is also looking out from the painting with awareness, as Goyas Maja did. However, there was not as much objection to the lack of innocence demonst rated here. Her awareness may have been less(prenominal) of an impacton Ingres society because the body of La Grande Odalisque is painted more modestly it is facing in, onward from the viewer. It was also more accepted in Ingres society because it was painted after the shock of Goyas work. The forward motion of time has go againstn Europe a chance to broaden its perspectives, and become more open-minded regarding the exacting rules of painting nudes.If Ingres means in La Grande Odalisque is examined, one can definitely see classical influence playing a large part. The classical influence is close to clear through the solid pic of the figure. There are no blurred or choppy lines. Classical influence is also shown through the way Ingres paints his nude with very smooth, invisible brush strokes. The skin and textures of fabric seem so real, they are practically photographic. She is painted indoors, but the black background behind the blue curtain denotes openness, as seen in cla ssical works.Even though these clear classical influences exist, Ingres did not follow the classical masters just as other Neo-Classical artists did. The figures slight deformation does not coincide with the classical challenge to create the sodding(a) body. Why did Ingres reject the classical style when he shaped the body of his nude? Some critics felt up that because of her unusual shape, Ingres must have been following the Mannerists, who with their unnatural ways of painting rejected the normal classic figure. However, it is also believed that Ingres elongated the back and outstretched arm to create a more sensual and titillating shape. His painting may also be considered romantic in subject matter, even though his style is Neo-Classical.Almost fifty years after Ingres painted La Grande Odalisque, Manet created Olympia(see fig. 4). Olympia could be considered the most unconventional nude up to this point. She was painted in 1863, and again, society rejected the reclining figu re. Olympia was the first of the nudes to give the viewer the sense of a real person, rather than an idealized figure. This realistic, unconventional portrayal caught the world by surpass. Olympias pale skin is totally unattractive when compared with the smooth, well-shadowed skin ofLa Grande Odalisque. Manets figure seems two-dimensional, whereas Ingres nude is three-dimensional. This is attributed to the fact that Manet, being reluctant to follow the trends before him, refused to create three-dimensionality through casting forms with lines or gradations of color. Olympia is proof of this refusal her body almost seems like a cardboard cut-out.Another worthy difference between Olympia and the other nudes is her gaze. She looks out at the viewer, just like La Grande Odalisque and The Nude Maja, but where these nudes had very seductive, enjoyable gazes, Olympias stare is very honest and frank. She looks out at the viewer with little interest, and she has no modesty whatsoever. This small change in gaze may seem insignificant, but upon examining the various nudes, one can see that it makes a dramatic difference. Manets nude, with her uncaring look, has a modernized feeling to it it clearly demonstrates how Manet got the title, The Father of Modern Art.Throughout the time span of the four paintings mentioned here, it is obvious that the 19th century was indeed the one most revolutionary for new thought and innovation. Ingres work at the beginning of that century has not quite reached that point of change, but Manets work in the shopping centre of the century reflects a totally new era of change. His art helped the Victorian society to realize that the axial motion coaster ride into the twentieth century was to be one of exciting, liberal thought. Even today, the reclining nude is being recreated in a very fascinating way(see fig. 5). By a simple comparison of these four works, it is easy to trait the history of art from its classical stage, to the modern art it is today.