Women Of Algiers: The Objectification Of Women In Art

The main purpose of this paper is to describe the visual analysis of the artwork. This paper examines an Egyptian half nude portrait art which is taken from Metropolitan Museum of Art (Fig.1). The statue characterized both male and female seated figure with a Braid hair. In this essay, I will present a complete visual description of this artwork (its preservation, costume and iconography), and then I will compare it to another artwork which is chosen from Textbook that is Akhenaten and his Family (Fig. 2).

How do the works of Yasumasa Morimura, Julie Rrap and Anne Zahalka challenge conventional ways in which gender has been depicted historically in the visual arts?

The artwork I chose to view through a gendered perspective was John Sloan’s Three AM. Three A.M. was made in 1909 and is an oil painting on canvas. John Sloan describes the painting as a look at a “curious two room household” ("Philadelphia Museum of Art - Collections Object: Three A.M."). I chose this painting because it reminded me of times I have shared with my best friend. The scene reminded me of the countless nights I have spent with my best friend in the kitchen baking cookies and gossiping. When I went to the museum, I was with my best friend and the first thing that came to mind when we saw this was, “This looks like us in my kitchen like two weekends ago.” It made me think, if someone had just captured a small moment of us and painted it, it would look very similar to us. Sloan characterized himself as a sort of “window watcher” (Coco 1), which is evident in the way he painted the two women. He painted the room in a “binocular view” (Coco 1) that looks like it was painted while watching these people from a window. This painting has many gendered aspects, some of which are stereotypes. My gender, as well as the artist’s gender, influence the understanding of the work of art.

Concerning color, there is a stark contrast between the figure on the painting and the background. More specifically, the figure of the woman is predominantly delineated in white color, especially pale, ashen white, as far her apparel and facial complexion are concerned, while there are also various hues of grey, with respect to her hair and accessory feather. These white and grey shades are vividly contrasted with the prevailing red and crimson hues of the background (viz. the drape, armchair, and table). Moreover, one can detect colors of dark green (jewelry), some beige on the left (pillar), and darker or lighter shades of blue on the right side of the canvas (sky), which all in concert and in addition to the subtle purple hue forming the sun or moon exude a certain dramatic sentiment. Also, there is brown, which often easily segues into gold (viz. books and attire details respectively). The main contrast of colors between white and red would be interpreted as serving the purpose of rendering the figure of the woman, and especially her face, the focal point of the work, despite, paradoxically enough, the lush red shades at the background. Bearing that in mind, the significance of the woman’s face will be enlarged upon later, when discussing aspects of her identity.

In her “Oppressive Texts, Resisting Readers, and the Gendered Spectator: The ‘New’ Aesthetics,” Mary Devereaux discusses the notion of the “male gaze.” The male gaze is a term largely discussed by feminists who ultimately criticize the patriarchal nature of mainstream art. According to Devereaux, a gaze ought to be considered “male,” in the literal sense, if it is men doing the looking. In the figurative sense, the male gaze refers to a viewpoint which places women as its object.

Since women were not viewed as an equal to men in society, artists during this time did not paint women for the sake of art and each woman’s own sense of individualism was not shown. Through Renoir painting portraits of women for arts sake, he was going against the beliefs of society and the time. Renoir did not agree with the idea of women not having importance in everyday life. Through his work he gave each woman which he painted an individual personality which others overlooked. For this reason alone, Renoir’s work was ridiculed by critics and other artists and as an end result

Colonies have tried to gain their independence from imperialistic countries for hundreds of years. In the case of the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain, colonists were revolting in the streets and even armed fights with the military broke out. In The Battle of Algiers, Algerians are portrayed as untamable, radical killers from the French standpoint. From the audiences’ perspective, film maker Gillo Pontecorvo wanted to show compassion for the Algerians. He wanted to show that their actions were justified. Nevertheless, Pontecorvo also wanted to show the French point of view, which he did by showing the manner in which high-ranking French handled battle plans and the way they spoke to the FLN.

“Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” was written with a passion both intense and familiar. Reading Nochlin’s words, I found myself thinking, several times, “I’d always wondered the same thing,” or “I feel the same way.” I even formulated some of my own thoughts on the subject, responding to the title question with another, asking, “What makes an artist an artist?” Upsettingly, it would seem it is not by her own choice or talent. It is decided by the world around her, including the men and “social institutions.” However, it would also appear that hope is always in reach for those who will wake up and grab it. Nochlin left us with this stirring advice:

The Guerrilla Girls speak about sexism in art galleries and the non appreciation of women 's art in the most prestigious galleries of New York. “a very big problem is the fact women don 't collect. ... Men buy the art and call the shots museums. Until women support women and collect each things will never change" (Withers 287). Women artists new to the art world were not accepted, men artist bought their art to present as their own. This way women artist do not get the chance to be recognized for their talent. Making the assumption women are only valued as the model but cannot aspire to be artists and create exceptional work as men would. This is of importance because only 1% or none of the art presented was of women artists. “not only in their appeals to principles of equality, but also, say, in their gesture of adopting the names of deceased female artists as aliases, a gambit tacitly

Modernity and the Spaces of Femininity was written by Griselda Pollock in 1988, and later published in The Expanding Disclosure in 1992. Griselda Pollock is an art historian, and writes this article for fellow art historians. This is an article written to show the different approaches to femininity in the late 19th century, mainly dealing with the field of art. This article shows how during this time period there were women artists, but due to the gendered ruled ideas attached to art history, these women are largely ignored by art historians. Pollock thought that these women artists are primarily overlooked due to the fact that they are judged by the same standards that are affixed to the work of their male counterparts. But she argues

In the today’s society, it may appear that women’s rights have been propelled forward by equal opportunity sanctions. However, taking a more concise look at different spectrums, such as the art world, it appears that many women are still being snubbed despite their artistic abilities. In

Delacroix painted “Women of Algiers” in 1834, two years after the French colonization of Algeria. Most people view his painting as accurate because he visited Algeria just two years previous (Ma). Delacroix went to Algeria in 1832 as part of a diplomatic mission for France. Because of this, some people believe that “Women of Algiers” was “propaganda for France’s imperialist ambition (Ma 9).” The painting was meant to show the women as oppressed and under control, the same thing that imperialistic France hoped to accomplish with the country they desired (Khannous). The painting itself was very much influenced by the oriental culture of North Africa, but was also warped by the European fantasy of North Africa. Oriental objects and color schemes can be seen throughout the painting; however, the painting’s presentation of its subjects are a product of European influence. The painting is supposed to depict a Harem, which to Europeans was viewed as a place where men kept their multiple concubines and wives; however, the European view of a Harem is very over-dramatic, and actually

(Millhouse, 2011) In the 1980’s Pollock’s Feminism “critiqued the essential myths of individualism, the artist, and the social constructions of femininity and masculinity that define bourgeois culture”. While the 70’s feminism movement aim was to stand next to the existing masculine dominated culture. “Feminism's encounter with the canon has been complexed and many-leveled: political ,ideology,mythological,methodological and psycho-symbolic” (Pollock, 1999). The 1970’s movement was followed by the immediate task which was “the need to rectify the gaps in historical knowledge created by the consistent omission of women of all cultures from the history of art” (Pollock, 1999). The only art that was put on display was significantly male dominated work, if you wanted to see work created by women, you would have to view them “in a basement or storeroom of a national gallery” (Pollock, 1999). Female artists are only known in their own category of female artists while male artists don’t require a separate category . Art that is created by females have been historically dismissed from the art historical canon as craft, as opposed to fine art. The evident of

In addition, I will examine the differences between male and female sexuality and how each tended to be perceived and treated by society. Then, I will look at prominent female artists and their personal experiences and beliefs on feminism and the female in their art focusing on how it tended to be received along how male artists responded to it. Mainly, I will be analyzing the clash of sexualized images in art, focusing on the differences not only between male made art versus female art, but the differences in the women’s art community, as well. What are the reasons and goals for women to use a “sexualized image” of women in their art versus

Throughout history many artistic works have been deemed "great" and many individuals have been labeled "masters" of the discipline. The question of who creates art and how is it to be classified as great or greater than another has commonly been addressed by scholars and historians. The last quarter of the 20th century has reexamined these questions based on the assertions that no women artists have ever created or been appreciated to the level of "greatness" that perpetually befalls their male counterparts. The position that society has institutionalized on women as unable to be anything but subordinate and unexpressive is a major contributor to this claim. Giving a brief history of gender discrimination in the art