Odalisque

Maker


1832-1883

Title

Odalisque

Date of Production

c.1868

Medium

Etching with aquatint

Dimensions

Height: 16 cm (Sheet)
Width: 24.4 cm (Sheet)

Accession Number

G.2023.XX.3

Mode of Acquisition

Richard Mansell-Jones, gift, 2023

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Location

Not currently on display

Label Text

Édouard Manet is often considered the first
modern artist to emerge in 19th-century Paris.
His paintings were seen as controversial for
their loose handling and incorporation of
explicitly working-class Parisians. The fictional
theme of the odalisque was unusual for Manet,
who never travelled to the Middle East or North
Africa, although he painted an erotic Orientalist
work (La Sultane) in 1871. This etching shows
his familiarity with the conventional features
of an odalisque, particularly her revealing
attire and languid pose, demonstrating the
popularity of this subject.

Provenance

Private collection, Norway, c. 1975; Chiswick Auctions, London, 19 October 2022, lot 138, where purchased by Richard Mansell-Jones; gifted to The Courtauld in November 2023.

Exhibition History

Drawing on Arabian Nights, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/02/2023-04/06/2023

Literature

Guerin, Marcel, L'oeuvre grave de Manet, Paris 1944
cat. no. no. 64

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