COVE

Display Explanation: The paintings provided above are created by Edouard Manet, “Luncheon on the Grass” from the year 1862, the second painting is “Olympia” another painting from 1863, and the third painting is titled “Nana” that was created in the year 1877. If I had the chance to display these paintings in a museum, I would like to display these paintings in a way where viewers can catch the significance of each of the paintings but also notice the one painting that is significantly different from the other two. The two women in the first painting and Olympia show a sense of “freedom” and sexuality when sitting there naked and unbothered. I would like to have a gray-ish blue color for the background wall because white would be too bright so having a color that is in between can help bring more attention to the paintings. To make it calming for the viewers that come into the museum having some type of instrumental, classical, or jazz music in the background not too loud but enough for them to hear as they walk through. The frame of each painting would be a dark brown to black frame and the lighting would be LED lighting so viewers can capture and analyze each painting the best they can. On each frame of the paintings, there will be a gold plate attached that displays the Artists name, the title of the painting, and the year it was created. I would also like to almost have a display for viewers to feel as if they are in the paintings. For example, for the “Nana” painting I would like it to be on the left side of the wall with a mirror hanging next to it from the ceiling as it is displayed in the painting itself, along with a couch in front of the paintings. About 10-15 feet next to “Nana”, I will have “Olympia” displayed because I believe that Olympia has shown the most comparisons to the other two paintings although I wouldn’t put it on the same level as the other paintings, I would most probably display it higher since it will be in the middle. On the same level as “Nana” and 10-15 feet from “Olympia” I will have “Luncheon on the Grass” displayed. When looking at how I display the paintings from left to right we see I started it off with a woman who is fully clothed, to a woman laying down naked, to then two women with men one naked and the other fully clothed. We see that each one of these women are “sex workers” yet I found it very interesting how the “Luncheon on the Grass” had a mixture of “Nana” and “Olympia” by having both naked and dressed women in the painting. I believe viewers will also find it very interesting on how much a like the paintings actually can be after viewing them for some time. 

Installation Note: With the three paintings that have been given to me for this project I have noticed they all have a woman in the painting either nude or fully clothed along with another person whether it is a man or a woman. These women portray themselves as sex workers since they are not the only ones but their positioning in the painting also give off a symbolization of them being confident in themselves and their bodies. Manet’s painting “Nana” caught my eye along with the other two because she is giving her full attention to the audience and my impression on her was that she seemed happy and young. Going more into depth, when I look at the painting she looks as if she is doing her makeup in front of a mirror and who could possibly be her husband or even a sex worker behind her, he is dressed very fancy and elegant and he is focusing his attention fully on her while she is looking at her audience. Also something we don't see in the other paintings is the back wallpaper, it is a nice contrast with a light blue and a flamingo on the right side which I have not seen in the other two paintings Manet has painted. The Olympia painting there is a naked woman laying down which is what we have also seen in the “Luncheon on the Grass” painting but instead of having two men there with her there is an older woman sitting next to her. I also analyzed the right side of the painting where if you look closely there is a black cat. As we discussed in class cats symbolize disloyalty and can also symbolize bad luck unlike dogs where they symbolize loyalty. When I see Olympia she comes off more as a sex worker than Nana since she is posed fully naked and has shoes while laying on the bed. So I see this significance between both painting the “Luncheon on the Grass” and “Olympia” because of the women that show their appearance. When first looking at the “Luncheon on the Grass” painting my attention went straight to the nude woman because she is looking straight at the audience and is the only one that appears nude, also with being alongside two fully clothed men. I have also been able to notice that they aren't exactly sitting directly in front of the picnic, as it seems to be set up next to the nude woman along with her clothes that she had on previously. All of these paintings express each and every one of these women in their own special way allowing them to be free and share their sexuality with the audience that chooses to interact with these paintings.

Work Cited:

Manet, Edouard. “Nana (Manet).” 1877 Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Aug. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nana_(Manet).

Manet, Edouard. "Olympia." 1863| Musée d’Orsay, www.musee-orsay.fr/en/artworks/olympia-712. Accessed 26 Feb. 2024.

Manet, Edouard. The Luncheon on the Grass, 1862 by Édouard Manet, www.manet.org/luncheon-on-the-grass.jsp. Accessed 26 Feb. 2024.