When Édouard Manet unveiled Olympia and Luncheon on the Grass in the 1860s, he shocked the Parisian art world. That year has come to be seen as a symbolic turning point, marking the decline of traditional painting and the birth of what would be called “modern” art.

Although both works drew upon classical precedents, they featured nude women who stared boldly and fearlessly at the viewer. Rather than embodying myth or allegory, Manet’s figures appeared as if they stepped off the streets of nineteenth-century Paris. By presenting a new kind of nude—real, confrontational, and charged with the artist’s individuality—Manet challenged the traditional role of painting, redefined the relationship between artwork and audience, and raised questions about women’s agency. His radical vision left a lasting impact on his contemporaries.