Olympia (Manet)
Olympia did produce negative reactions: people hated it. Some people thought the painting was immoral and vulgar. Critic Paul de Saint-Victor wrote in La Presse, "People throng in front of Manet's putrid Olympia as they would in front of a body in the Morgue. This is art fallen so low that it is not even worthy of censure". Nathaniel Harris writes, "In reviewing Olympia  Gautier wrote that the model was puny, the bed covered with cat's footprints, the general effect ugly: but then he made the point that "we would forgive the ugliness, were it only truthful ... The least beautiful woman has bones, muscles, skin, and some sort of colour", whereas on this woman the flesh colour was dirty and the modeling non-existent." Some liked the painting. Émile Zola said it was Manet's "masterpiece". He added, "When other artists correct nature by painting Venus they lie. Manet asked himself why he should lie. Why not tell the truth?" In 1866 Zola wrote with tongue-in-cheek, "If only Manet had borrowed a powder puff ... and had lightly powdered Olympia's cheeks and her breasts she would have been a bit more presentable".