MANET’S MASTERPIECE OLYMPIA, FOR THE FIRST TIME ON LOAN OUTSIDE FRANCE, WILL BE AT THE DOGE’S PALACE, VENICE
Manet’s Olympia, an 1863 oil on canvas portraying a prostitute, was shown for the first time at the Paris Salon of 1865 and, despite being relegated to a semi-hidden corner, aroused much controversy over the vulgarity of the subject. In reality it is a masterpiece, that from 24 April to 18 August 2013 will be not at the Musée D’Orsay in Paris, but at the Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s Square, Venice. The painting will be at the centre of the exhibition ‘Manet. Return to Venice’ being held in the prestigious Venetian monument, curated by Stéphane Guégan and with scientific direction by Guy Cogeval and Gabriella Belli. The exhibition, with 70 works by the great French painter, will be one of the biggest cultural events in Venice in 2013.