In this painting of Olympia CŽzanne offers a fantasy on Manet’s Olympia, which had created a scandal in 1865. CŽzanne was making a double statement with this work: he was indicating his support for the leader of the ‘ƒcole des Batignolles’ and he may have been hinting at his intention of surpassing him. A Modern Olympia, which CŽzanne himself described as ‘modern’, says much about the painter’s artistic ambitions. There are numerous differences between the two works, in the format, the treatment and the subject. Manet’s painting may be said to represent the ‘after’ scene, but CŽzanne’s treatment shows the courtesan being disrobed by a maid and thereby revealing herself to the lustful client, who can be seen, slightly in profile, sitting in front of the high bed on which Olympia displays herself. The client has often been identified with the painter himself because of certain physical similarities – the bald patch, the long hair and the beard. The fiendish black cat in Manet’s painting, Olympia’s lascivious companion, is replaced by CŽzanne with a ridiculous little lap-dog wearing a red bow around its neck.
