Lady With The Primroses

The first important similarity between the two pieces is the obvious use of the reclining female nude. The female figure was a popular subject matter for the primitivists of this time, because society viewed women to be more “natural” than men, who were more “civilized.” Society assumed that women’s

The statues, Heyl Aphrodite and Capitoline Gaul, both contain human-like features, but only one shows the ideal woman figure. By observing Heyl Aphrodite, viewers notice her soft, curvaceous figure. Her body is proportional creating balance and harmony. Fabric hugs the goddess’s body, draping over her right breast, while exposing the left, conveying a sense of sexuality. Her lack of eye contact expresses weakness, while her body posture, with the aid of the fabric, shows movement. Merker compares the artwork in her book, when she writes, “The raised right shoulder gives a sense of movement; although there is no torsion, one feels there ought to be and is reminded of the unstable, twisting movement of the Heyl Aphrodite in

In representing female subjects, both Pablo Picasso’s oil painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907) and Édouard Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882) manipulate the formal techniques of composition and perspective to create new ways of seeing their subject, emulating their contemporary society’s shifting views of women and the individual. Les Demoiselles depicts five naked prostitutes, flaunting their bodies, and some wearing tribal masks. In comparison, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère represents a female, who may also be a prostitute, tending a bar. The depiction of previously ‘hidden’ female subjects alone was an innovation of the perception of the artist, however, the formal treatment in representing these subjects was an important break from tradition.

Nanette Salomon, a very well known feminist writer, wrote the article, “Judging Artemisia: A Baroque Woman in Modern Art History.” The article opens up with a discussion about the 2001-2 exhibition of Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi: Father and Daughter Painters in Baroque Italy. The author explains that three things are unusual here: the fact that two famous artists were presented at the same time, that they were related as father and daughter, and the fact that the woman was better known than the man. Her intent in this article is to look at the effects of this trope (figure of speech) in the past and in the present.

The Old Market Woman, is a marble statue that is from the Early Imperial period also known as the Hellenistic period. Artists became obsessed with the idea of childhood and old age, instead of beauty and masculinity. The people in that time, are interested in seeing a statue that has characteristics that catches the viewer 's eyes. We are naturally attracted to beauty. What the artist of The Old Market Woman did though, was take that beauty that we are attracted to, and transforms it into reality and uses it to tell a story. The use of realism relates strongly to the religion that the Woman believed in.

In society today, women’s hair doesn’t normally make a daily social or political statement, it played a much more important role in Ancient Rome. Roman women put a lot of thought and effort into their hair, as the aesthetics of it played a strong roll in whether society deemed them attractive, but that wasn’t all. While men of both Ancient Rome and now view this focus on physical appearance as purely a form of vanity it also went beyond the pleasing aesthetics of it, the hairstyles of Roman women were an extension of not just their own social and political standing, but that of their family. The physical appearance of these women were translated into sculpture and offered both the public and private a view of these important women. These sculptures, and sometimes even coins, weren’t just a pretty picture, they revealed intricacies into the political affiliations of the women, and would even espouse the traits and even the goddess that they wished to be associated with.

This sculpture focuses on the life of a child and the problems associated with child-like behavior, an aspect of life not commonly explored in Classical Greek sculpture. Curiosity is often associated with children, and in both adults and children, curiosity is likely to get you into trouble. However, as this statue shows, when your curiosity gets you a ‘thorn’ in your foot, the best thing to do is pluck it out without fear as the boy’s face does not express concern or distress demonstrating that the ‘thorn’ is not a grave danger. The lack of seriousness in the problems the Greeks of the Hellenistic period faced is captured in this sculpture. During Classical Greece, when the average citizen participated in matters of state, therefore had to face serious issues, this sculpture would have never been created. The average citizen would not be able to relate to the plight of a child, as their problems were far graver, but again with the loss of political power, the Greeks gained levity to their lives. Further exploring other avenues of the human experience, men’s relationship with women is personified. The statue of Aphrodite, Pan, and Eros is of a subject matter uncommon during the Classical period. The Goddess is much more exposed, with only one hand being used to cover herself. Aphrodite appears to be holding a sandal to smack away the Satyr, however, she does not show negative emotions on her face. Eros appears between the two, grabbing the Satyr by the horns, just as lust grips the mind. The expression of male lust towards women becomes a more important part of Greek life as that portion of life becomes more significant. The Satyr type of man, as opposed to the Olympic athlete, became a better representation of the average Greek as these ‘men’ chased after women who were able to swat them away without much thought due to the fact that

Although people always said women are free, there still have very few statues of women (Mccarthy, par.1) until a statue called Fearless Girl appeared in front of another sculpture called Charging Bull in New York City (Mccarthy, par.2). Because of Fearless Girl stands in front of the Charging Bull looks like a girl is fearless when she faces the very fierce cow. So it was very famous and popular (Mccarthy, par.7) for protecting and standing women’s right (Mccarthy, par.12). But the sculptor who made Charging Bull called Arturo Di Modica was very annoyed Fearless

This beauty shapes Aphrodite into a representation of the ideal sexual woman that is desired in the Roman world. An example of this eroticizing is displayed for the first time in Alexandros of Antioch's Venus de Milo, where the goddess is displayed as a sexual being rather than a divine entity. When a beautify goddess, such as Aphrodite, is placed within the villas, comparison is created between the goddess and the female residents of the villa. By frequently placing the goddess amongst the women of the house, visitors and owners alike are able to juxtapose the owners with the statue. Beauty, style, and values are shown through the idealized Aphrodite, displaying the sexual qualities of women that were so idealized during the Roman empire.

The selected statue depicts a pair of people attached to what looks like a carved piece of stone, dubbed with several markings and symbols on the bottom (Fig. 1). At first glance, the person on the right appears to be a young boy seeing as the figure is significantly shorter and therefore younger, but if you study the body shape more carefully you can recognize the difference between the proportions and overall structure of the torso and chest regions. While the male 's chest is flat with a slight arch near the center to define his pectorals, the shorter figure 's chest is much more protruded, with more weight distributed to opposite sides of the torso to represent breasts, in addition to a noticeable curve of the midsection that references a woman 's frame. Another observation is the lower half of the body where her naval is exposed, her waist is narrowed, more weight is distributed to the upper thighs to better render fuller hips, and a pubic triangle is purposefully carved into the stone. A second exception includes their choice in clothing. Although the woman 's upper body doesn 't indicate a top or brassiere, she is clearly wearing a long skirt or dress that lacks any further detail, but certainly reveals parts of her body underneath the fabric. The male is wearing a garment fitted around his waist, complete with a creased pattern draped over his right thigh, with perhaps a belt to fasten them together. This observation concludes that the carving is indeed of an adult

I was drawn to this time period as well as these two sculptures. As I researched both sculptures I was fascinated by how much respect the people of that time had for their women. Not only for what they could do for them, but also for what they looked like. They didn’t see the weight and size as a grotesque thing; but more as a thing of beauty. In

This period housed many depictions of the Virgin Mary, including Cimabue’s Enthroned Madonna and Child. Mary was seen as the perfect example of feminine virtue, showing chastity, piety, humility, and maternity. Images of the Madonna, or Mary, whether sculpture or painting, encouraged women to live up to her. Mary wasn’t the only woman that was looked up to in Renaissance art. Women could be portrayed as witches, saints, temptresses, or members of the working class, and their image would still be an encouragement to dress and behave properly. (Jacobs)

When one thinks of art and religion, one may think of gender role defiance and non-conformism. While this may be generally true in present times, it was not always this way. Women and men have had distinctly different places in society, these places often being unequal. Generally most well-known works throughout the ages have adhered to and represented what society regarded as the proper gender roles for men and women. This is represented in three works of art which will be discussed: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Courtier: Book 3 by Baldassare Castiglione, and Luncheon on the Grass by Eduoard Manet. While these three forms of art come from different times and are of different mediums, they are connected in that they follow and represent the gender roles of their time.

Contrary to Pieri’s argument, nearly every aspect of Pre-Raphaelite paintings has a meaning. Details as seemingly insignificant as facial expression, body posturing, and even clothing could convey a figure’s feelings, morality, and position in society. In “Expression over Beauty: Facial Expression, Body Language, and Circumstantiality in the Paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood”, Julie F. Codell explains that in Pre-Raphaelite art, a figure’s facial expression and body position were reflective of the studies of anatomy and its relation to psychology and morality that were popular at the time and of which their Victorian audience would likely have full knowledge and understanding. She explains that “the study of anatomy was partly inspired by the writings of Sir Charles Bell, whose underlying themes - the fugitive nature of emotions and the relativity of beauty - illuminate the psychological interpretations of character intended by the PRB.” She continues to explain that “in much Pre-Raphaelite art, the expression of powerful feelings is not merely a means but an end itself; the emotional impact of their pictures is part of their meaning and not simply an accidental side-effect.” Therefore, the feelings the viewer experiences and the opinions they form, as influenced by the artists’ use of body language and facial expression, are the painting’s intended meanings.

Yet another common theme that characterized female integrity can be found in the “penis trees” drawn throughout the era. In Massa Marittima’s Mural, the implication that women harvested penises and were more interested in the physical aspects of a man rather than the Christian influenced concepts of celibacy and purity were openly accepted. Pictures like these were not created by women or based on any concrete experience, instead they repeatedly drew inspiration from perpetuated stereotypes that further discredited the morality of women.