An indisputable icon of modernism, Manet's Olympia, picturing a white working-class prostitute, a black servant offering her flowers, and a black cat, caused an uproar of epic proportions when it was exhibited in the Salon of 1865. The ways in which Olympia challenged codes of representation outraged contemporaries and continue to fascinate in our time. This course examines the valences of this image, including the inflammatory discourses of realism, prostitution, and inter-racialism, from the time it was exhibited to its most recent status as feminist cult image and gender bender. Beginning with T. J. Clark's absorbing analysis of the critical writing of 1865 (The Painting of Modern Life, 1985), the course explores scholarly interventions by Michael Fried, Sander L. Gilman, Lorraine O'Grady, and Denean Sharpley-Whiting, as well as influential writings on prostitution by Alain Corbin, Hollis Clayson, and Charles Bernheimer. Finally, we consider the crucial role the painting and the issues it raises continue to play in recent artistic productions by artists including Renee Green, Kazuo Morimura, Renee Cox, Carrie Mae Weems, and Ida Applebroog. How might this "Olympia revival" help us re-conceptualize the art historical discourse? Format: seminar. Extensive reading, 2-3 short position papers, oral presentation, 15- to 20-page research paper, attendance of relevant public lectures, and possible field trip to New York required. Prerequisite: ArtH 101-102. Enrollment limit: 12 (expected: 12).

Hour: OCKMAN