# Art Nouveau lovers unite

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-nouveau-lovers-unite/208287>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 19, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-nouveau-lovers-unite/208287 "2003-10-19T01:43:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-nouveau-lovers-unite/208287/21 "2003-10-22T03:49:11Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by kung fu lola \*  
> \*\*I have a book called _Art Nouveau and The Erotic_, by Ghislane Wood, published in 2000 by Harry N. Abrams Inc.
> 
> In the introduction, there is a plate of ‘Olympia’ and the author cites it as an example of the sexualizing of female portraiture during the AN movement don’t I feel smart now.  
> \*\*

That still doesn’t make Manet’s style Art Nouveau. _Olympia_ was painted in 1863–several decades before anything like an “Art Nouveau” movement was formed. Moreover, I would disagree with Wood regarding the eroticism of Manet’s painting. The dreamy eroticism in Art Nouveau paintings is worlds apart from the blunt realism of Manet’s work–which, really, isn’t all that erotic when you compare it to certain other paintings from the nineteenth century. Ingres’ paintings of women, for instance, are far more sensual than anything Manet did, and they anticipate the Art Nouveau spirit much more strongly than Manet’s work did.

But I wouldn’t call Ingres “Art Nouveau” either.

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-nouveau-lovers-unite/208287/22 "2003-10-22T04:47:50Z")

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**Rodd Hill** -no kidding. That’s some GORGEOUS stuff there!

Oh well. If I can’t buy it, at LEAST it’s given me plenty of pictures to make into embroidery patterns!

KFL-no, I don’t recall you ever making a fool out of yourself. And if you did, well, hey, at least you weren’t Fiwer. 😉

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