Manet's Olympia By Adam Seif: Visual Analysis

338 Words1 Page

The painting is rather different due to the time period. The image is rather abstract and uses symbolization which is not expected during this this specific era. I would not expect for a figure to be drawn with objects on their body. For instance, Expectations can influence someone's reactions to something. Many people were shocked and offended by Manet's Olympia due to the fact that they had certain expectations of what a painting should have been at the time. The way that we see things and people at first glance can greatly affect how we further view something or someone as stated by Adam Seif. The painting style uses both light and heavy brush strokes, the shade of dark towards the background and light in the foreground. The figure does not really show a sense of emotion, I would probably say the figure is content, they are smiling and looking toward the audience. The fruits, could possibly symbolize mischief or happiness. For example, the visual elements of this picture complement its intended objective because the shapes are what shows the viewer what the picture is all about. The shapes allow the viewer to visualize the three biased standpoints and the pure truth in the middle. This is what the picture is all about. The shapes, as stated by Brandon Boyle …show more content…

The image looks almost mystical and abstract due to the colors and how the artist chose to put the spectrum of colors above the head and below the torso. The piece is also represented with a giant chandelier on the figures head and fruit wrapped around the waist with colors sparkling out of them. The painting is rather interesting due to the dark contrast of the inside and walls as opposed to the actual figure and what they have on. As stated by Natali Andres, the gaze grabs the audience's attention which is why her eyes are at the center of the

Open Document