Final answer:
Manet's Olympia portrays the artist's role as a provocateur, challenging societal norms with a provocative and self-assured portrayal of a contemporary woman, signifying a shift in art standards from Realism to Impressionism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Édouard Manet's Olympia assumes the fundamental role of the artist as a provocateur and a revolutionary in art. Manet confronted the traditional norms of art that was not the idealized figure of a goddess, but rather a contemporary courtesan with a confrontational gaze and non-idealized features. The actual offense came from her piercing stare towards the viewer, symbolizing her empowerment and challenging the status quo of societal and artistic conventions of the period. Olympia represented a shift in art from Realism to Impressionism, breaking with traditional portrayals of women and introducing modern-life subjects in painting. Additionally, Manet's use of bold brushstrokes and flattened perspective was seen as radical and contributed further controversy amongst the Parisian audiences and critics at the time.