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)
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)
Copyright
Work in the public domain
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.
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
cat. no. no. 64
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