Content: Mina Curtiss’ “Manet Caricatures: Olympia”

Again, much of the best content seems to be in printed works rather than online items.  Fortunately, this Massachusetts Review article from 1966 is made available through JStor.  There are only six copies in print available through WorldCat.

The Citation:

Manet Caricatures: Olympia
Mina Curtiss
The Massachusetts Review, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Autumn, 1966), pp. 725-752
Published by: The Massachusetts Review, Inc.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25087509

This is a very important work in documenting some of the primary caricatures made of Manet’s Olympia from that time period.  Interestingly, Curtiss notes the popularity of illustrating the black cat found in Olympia painting, sometimes used more often than Olympia herself…

Images: A Homage or Parody?

Olympia was ruthlessly compared to Titian’s Venus of Urbino.  However, it appears that this critic might have been onto something unknowingly.  It is said that Manet’s works of 1863 are homages to Titian.

See the similarities?

Titian, Venus of Urbino

Manet, Olympia

Images: Daumier Caricatures of the Paris Salon

Daumier, The Critic

Daumier, Sculpture

Daumier, Critics

Daumier, Before the Painting

Daumier, Up Close

Daumier, Free Admission (to Paris Salon)

Daumier, Venuses

Idea: Honore Daumier Caricatures Essential

Daumier’s caricatures are absolutely essential to producing the society of 1865, the satire on the Paris Salon, on the bourgeois, and on Olympia.  There are also additional caricatures done on Olympia not done by Daumier.

Daumier, Free Admission (to Paris Salon)