Seminar One Task

Compare and Contrast two paintings ' Giorgione - The sleeping Venus 1510 and Manet - Olympia 1863.' Comment on the context and the relationship of the image to the idealised and realism.

Fig 1 Giorgione The sleeping Venus 1510

Fig 2 Manet Olympia 1863

Giorgione has constructed an image that creates an idea of woman of that era being idealised is this a realistic representation of that time in history. Where as Manet has created a painting which represents reality of that specific time in history which can be seen through the use of the black woman also painted in the image. The black woman is represented as a servant to the white woman on the bed which is a well known fact of that era that black poorer women were servants to wealthier families. Giorgione's painting clearly represents the style of painting of that time period the use of where the body is located suggests and implies the idealised and wants the audience of that time period to believe that this is the style of life this woman lived. 

The aesthetics found in both paintings clearly represent the characteristics that the artist wants to illustrate about each sitter. Firstly, the location demonstrates the style of life the sitter lives. Figure two by Manet represents and allows the viewer to understand the background of the sitter through the use of the green drapes the drapes represent a wealthy woman of the early nineteenth century.

Secondly, the use of sheets also indicates the time era of the paintings and allows the viewer to understand the sitter. The use of silk plain sheets and the positioning of the body gives us the viewer and understanding of the type of person that the sitter is we do get a sense that she is a very sexual person the use of her arm lifted behind her head and her right arm by her groin gives the viewer an insight into her sexuality. The title of the painting means the goddess of beauty, love and fertility is portrayed through the use of the aesthetics and the positioning of her body. Where as figure two portrays a different thought to the viewer the sheets found in this painting portray a sense of virginity this thought came from the use of pure white sheets that the sitter lays on. The body positioning of this sitter seems more insecure even though she is looking at the artist and wants to be in control the use of aesthetics portray a different view.

Overall, I feel that these two paintings show a similar style of painting which is portrayed through the use of aesthetics found in the imagery but they portray two completely different meaning to the viewer. The paintings take a close look at the idea of realism and the idealised which I have taken a close look  at to compare both paintings.