Posted by
admin - Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
This is for my art history class that specializes in modern art. It also asks, what were the specific artistic, historical, and theoretical contexts that influenced modern artists in their approaches to the subject matter?
I haven’t taken Art History, so I can’t tell you much.
But be sure, no matter what, to include HUMANISM in your answer.
In the Renaissance, the focus of the artist shifted from an image of inhuman perfection (see older illustrations of Madonna and child in illuminated manuscripts and compare them to Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa) to a more realistic, human approach. Humanists looked back to Hellenistic art for inspiration. You’ll notice that, over a period of time, the focus of art shifted from religious figures to common people, and that their figures became more realistic.
It was in this period that the image of the bare human body shifted from sinful to holy. (Artists took into consideration a verse in the Bible that stated that man was created in God’s image; thus, the human body is a work of perfection.)
No longer was nudity something to be hidden, but to be celebrated.
You might also note the change in the ‘ideal beauty’ of women. Over the course of time, the image of the ideal female face and figure was transformed. It shifted from very soft and refined to sharp and powerful, while still remaining feminine. This was highly inspired by the bust of Nefertiti discovered in the 20th Century.
As uncomfortable as it is to discuss, women and men alike are usually portrayed in artistic nudity without any body hair. If I remember correctly, this detail was developed- once again- in the Renaissance era. Artists and patrons alike saw body and pubic hair as a symbol of sexuality, so it was usually omitted to keep the image artistic and not erotic.
You might also want to look up a little bit of information on the Golden Ratio in the human body.
Overall, the image of the female nude has come to represent very human qualities and concepts; fertility, innocence (or lack thereof), temptation, celebration, etc.
EDIT::
I’ll just throw this out there: I really can’t stand it when people call artists perverts for studying the human figure. Welcome back to Elementary school, everyone.
Just because the Western world incorrectly portrays ‘nudity’ and ‘sexuality’ as synonymous, doesn’t make artists perverts.
Artists have a tendency to see the human figure as something totally different than what everyone else sees it as. It’s something beautiful and mystifying.
Michelangelo didn’t have a hard on while he was sculpting the most beautiful and symbolic work of modern art, you dipshits.