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| Nude Masterpieces Go Face to Face in Venice |
| 2013-04-25 |
| [An Nahar] Two naked seductresses separated by three centuries of history went face to face for the first time in Venice on Wednesday in an exhibition devoted to French painter Edouard Manet with his "Olympia" alongside Titian's "Venus of Urbino". Two (of three) virtually identical poses. Giorgione's Sleeping Venus is the third. Titian finished it, so I guess it's partially his as well. Manet completed his painting of a prostitute being waited on by a black maid in 1863 -- a controversial masterpiece which caused a stir at the time but was largely inspired by old master Titian's own ground-breaking work from 1538. I don't think it stands comparison with the Titian and Giorgione works, though I confess I do like her face, and the treatment of her hands is very sensitive. "Olympia" usually hangs in the Musee d'Orsay in Paris and the painting has never left France. It was driven to Italy for the show and then ferried across the Venice lagoon to St Mark's Square on a barge to be exhibited in the Ducal Palace. The works were "scandalous" in their times, said Guy Cogeval, head of the Musee d'Orsay. And they still have the capacity to shock. They're pretty sexy the first dozen times you see them, but they're a nice illustration of the difference between "nude" and "naked." "Olympia" was not used in publicity posters because of local sensitivities in Venice. "I didn't want to put 'Olympia' next to St Mark's Basilica, out of respect," said Gabriella Belli, director of Venice's museums and a co-curator of the show together with the Musee d'Orsay. Ummm... Good move. Unexpectedly good for this day and age. Putting the picture of the nekkid hooker out in front of the church wouldn't have been whatcha call polite. The exhibition entitled: "Manet: The Return to Venice" is organised by the city in conjunction with the Musee d'Orsay and features 23 paintings and 20 sketches by the French painter (1832-1883). They are hung alongside 80 works by Italian Old Masters including Carpaccio, Guardi and Lotto -- a way of underlining Manet's Italian inspiration, which is only now being fully appreciated. "Italy was a fertile, stable and permanent inspiration for Manet's genius," said Stephane Guegan, a consultant for the show. "It was impossible to say this for a long time since his influence by Spain is always put forward." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 The Manet is a parody of the Titian. It was meant to offend the bourgeoisie sensibilities of the Paris arts establishment. |
| Posted by: Muggsy Mussolini1226 2013-04-25 17:44 |
| #2 BTW, nice shoes. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2013-04-25 12:58 |
| #1 uh huh huh huh You said Titian. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2013-04-25 11:26 |
