The Depiction of Women Throughout Art History Essay

Art results from the contexts of politics, social and religious aspects of life and it is a product of its own time. Thus, women are depicted differently as time goes by such that the artwork of recent artists shows totally different themes from that of artists in the 16th century. There has been a broad sense of the representation of women through art in history. Art has the consequential nature and that makes it the centre of the interest of historians which is according to the different subjects represented. Women have been depicted in themes that represent rape, women in the religious art, the neutrality of gender in women, differences in gender terms, sexuality as well as eroticism as shown by various artists in history. Feminism has also been a major topic of discussion concerning women in art history. The representation of women tries to describe how they were viewed by male artists and the change over the years. The various changes that have taken place in the portrayal of women in the art show that in Ancient Egypt, women had a powerful role to play in the society and they tended to be equal to men but only to some point. The different eras include the ancient Aegean where women were depicted as being commanding and were powerful figures in the society thus being taken as being equal to men. The era of ancient Greece shows that women were then thrown into the shadows of men and the comparison made was on the standard of beauty which was man's physique. The prehistoric age depicted women as symbols of fertility. Major arts have shown these representations in a clearer way through making art on the subject of women.

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The Venus of Willendorf is the oldest and most famous surviving works of art and it is a good example to show how women are depicted in art history. The image is a figure of a woman whose physical characteristics showed a thin upper torso, the breasts are largely exaggerated, the buttocks and thighs are large, a large stomach which is likely to be as a result of pregnancy, the legs are short and oddly bent and the feet are small. The statue is a critical icon in the period of prehistory and it is a symbol of fertility. This is because apart from the statue being a female, the presence of an enlarged stomach and breasts and the great emphasis on the pubic area serves as a representative for procreation.

King Menkaure and Queen Greek Kore statues show how the two figures stand side by side on a base that is squared and gets support from a black pillar. They are both facing the front. The queen, who is the main figure of interest in this discussion shows that she is a perfect female counterpart to the king. The art shows that women are seen as great helpers and supporters in society as they provide a leaning shoulder for their men. The queen is sensuously modelled where readers can see that she has a beautiful and well-proportioned body which is articulated to the ideal beauty of mature feminine. Queen Greek Kore depicts that she clearly fills the role of the King as well as other personal features and the firmness is shown in the way they stride forward with the left feet.

The painting on the Orgnissanti Madonna was originally painted for the church in Florence. The design of the art was for the high altar. The subject matter as seen in the painting is more traditional and edges on the religious matters of life. The image shows Holy Virgin Mary of Madonna who is holding Christ child on her lap. The art depicts women as religious because they are bestowed with the responsibility of taking care of children regarded as belonging to Christ. The image also shows that Madonna and the child are enthroned with saints and angels around them which shows the state of the Kingdom of God. Women in the society are more religious compared to the men and are more likely to teach others on the aspect of religion compared to men.

The image of Venus of Urbino is a sexual painting by Titian and it depicts a nude young woman. She is reclining on a couch in the surroundings of what looks like a palace. The painting is identified with goddess Venus where Titian domesticates Venus in that she is moved to an indoor setting such that she is engaged with the viewer and also making her sensuality explicit. The depiction of women in this art is that they are objects of sex which builds on the theme of sexuality and eroticism in art history. Sexuality is illustrated in the painting which provides evidence of the self-definition of cultures which is shaped by the concepts of beauty as well as ugliness as represented by women in their feminity. The fact that the woman is nakedly placing her hand on the pubic area also stirs the theme of eroticism which is the sexual desire.

The story behind Perseus freeing Andromeda was that her mother claimed that they were more beautiful compared to the Nereids who were the sea nymphs. Thus, the Nereids took it as a form of insult and thus complained to the sea god Poseidon. However, Perseus killed the monster and freed Andromeda who he married later. Andromeda is a good example of a woman who is independent and strong willed which translates to the women in the society. Women are depicted to be powerful figures as seen in the Ancient Aegean and their rights needed to be respected. The art as shown in the images of Perseus freeing Andromeda shows that men should support women in every way possible the same way Perseus came to the aid of Andromeda.

Manet came up with the painting known as Olympia 1863 which is a notorious representation of women. The painting shows a nude woman who is lying back on while pillows of a bed. She is also getting assistance from a female black servant who is holding a bouquet of flowers. There is a black cat looking out from the bottom of the bed. The art is a representation of prostitution, a young woman in the sexualized profession which is a breached taboo. The art also shows the widespread recognition of the acts of prostitution in the societies which come as a result of the growth of the working class. The women are shown to be objects of sex and eroticism in the painting in addition to the fact that the society is in support of some activities such as prostitution.

Migrant Mother Nipomo, California shows a compelling image of a mother and the children as shown from the series of photographs. The photographs of the family describe the fight of the poor where the women are seen as caretakers of the children. The society defines their role of not abandoning their children regardless of the situations. Thus, they end up languishing in poverty. The photo is iconic in treating depression as it shows how the exposures of the mother and the children. The mother is holding a baby and there are two older children who stand on either side of her in a scene of poverty and helplessness. The society describes women as individuals to provide care for their children.

The art of the girl with Geisha depicts the women of Japan and the entertainment they offer through their performance. These are young women who wear red and paint their faces white which is traditional colours. Their entertainment is wonderful and the history has related them to the depiction of women in the society as entertainers. The head of feminine personage-culture life is the picture of a small head that stands out for its elegance and serenity which is a representation of noble women as the society depicts them.

Conclusion

Women in society have a big role to play in society. Additionally, society has also attached various perspectives about them and there are various things they are known for and should adhere. There has been the development of the art history with the changing times in the discussion of how women are portrayed.

References

Nead, Lynda. The female nude: Art, obscenity and sexuality. Routledge, 2002.

Russo, Mary. The female grotesque: risk, excess and modernity. Routledge, 2012.

Broude, Norma. Feminism and art history: Questioning the litany. Routledge, 2018.

Hyman, Paula E. Gender and assimilation in modern Jewish history: The roles and representation of women. University of Washington Press, 2017.

Vogel, Lise. "Fine arts and feminism: The awakening consciousness." In Feminist art criticism, pp. 31-68. Routledge, 2018.