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nudity in art history
influences on renaissance art
medieval painting
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Danae: an image of visual seduction
Rembrandt’s striking light-sized painting of Danae, a character in Greek mythology, allures the viewer and attests to Rembrandt’s profound ability to paint human life. The life-sized nude figure reclines on a bed, her features illuminated by a soft, warm light. Her body appears so lifelike, that the viewer senses the softness of her skin and warmth of the light. In addition to brightening Danae’s skin, the light creates golden highlights on the cupid statue above her head, the sheets draped around her body, and the curtain. Danae’s expectant, inviting expression and the unidentified old woman in the background arouse the curiosity of the viewer. In Rembrandt’s 1636 Danae, he uses the Greek myth about Danae to create one of the most lifelike depictions of the female nude. In so doing, Rembrandt achieves his aspirations of competing with other renowned figure painters, capturing the natural qualities of human nature, and captivating the viewer by alluring his senses through the image’s eroticism.
Rembrandt, a Dutch painter and etcher of the seventeenth century, is one of the most renowned artists in European history. At the start of his career, he painted mostly male heroes, and very rarely depicted female figures. In 1626, he painted Musical Allegory, his first image featuring a female protagonist. At around this time, Rembrandt began depicting mythological scenes. Mythology was the traditional genre through which artists celebrated the female body, especially because it allowed the artist to depict the feminine body in a sexual way. While exploring this genre, Rembrandt became interested in female physicality, and gave increasingly more attention to the female figures in his histories. Eve...
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...press its viewers with its convincing life-likeness and conjure emotion them 400 years later. Rembrandt’s Danae was so strikingly and convincingly lifelike that it was tragically vandalized in 1985. Fortunately, the painting has been restored, so that viewers will continue to be moved by Rembrandt’s evocative, sensual, and lifelike depiction of Danae.
Bibliography
Gilboa, Anat. Images of the Feminine in Rembrandt’s Work. Delft: Eburon Academic Publishers, 2003.
Hunter, James. “Danae.” Encyclopedia Mythica 1997.
Leadbetter, Ron. “Eros.” Encyclopedia Mythica 1997.
Suijter, Eric Jan. Rembrandt and the Female Nude. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2006.
Russell, John. “Healing a Disfigured Rembrandt’s Wounds.” New York Times 31 Aug. 1997.
Williams, Julia Lloyd. Rembrandt’s Women. Edinburg: The Trustees of the National Galleries of Scotland, 2001.
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654?) was one of the most important women artists before the modern period and certainly one of the most famous female painters from the seventeenth century. Gentileschi’s paintings regularly featured women as the protagonists acting in a manner equal to men. In fact, forty nine of her paintings fall into this category. She was raped at the age of 18 and the subsequent events lent her a certain amount of notoriety. These factors have led many to interpret her artwork as an expression of her role as a female victim looking for revenge through her art. Instead, a closer examination of Gentileschi’s life and her artwork exposes the artist as an individual with personal strength and incredible talent who painted subjects similar to or the same as those of her male counterparts, instead of staying within the guiding principles of what was acceptable “feminine” art.
The Greek’s images also possessed two important ideas that brought the soul of the artist and subject to the surface while still capturing the passion and action of the movement and story: noble simplicity and quiet grandeur. Greek images contained faces that were full of expression but were also balanced because they were not overcome by pain or passion because they still had nobility of soul which creates a sense of tranquility even in the midst of rage, fervor, or desire.
Images of biblical women have been used for centuries but some are much more controversial than others. One of the most infamous women associated with the bible is only directly mentioned in the bible once. Lilith is a woman whose story stems from Babylonian myths, demonology, and was the answer to a conflict in the Jewish creation story. She first appears in the folklore and more importantly the story of Gilgamesh, her story has grown into a femme fatale. The effect of social constructs on the interpretation of femme fatale archetypes such as Lilith are evident in the comparison of Lilith’s mythological beginnings to sexualized representation in Gabriel Rossetti’s painting Lady Lilith 1886. This transformation can be understood through analyzing the mythology surrounding Lilith, application of Jungian female archetypes, and the examination of art associated with Lilith.
I chose a painting currently on display in The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum by Scott Noel named “Danae II”. I chose this painting because I was simply spellbound by the woman lying on her back; the subject was beautiful and her environment was entrancingly portrayed. When I realized the true subject was the mythological being I had assumed her to be (the theme of the exhibition proved my assumption correct) I truly set my sights on this painting for this paper. Although this a contemporary piece I firmly believe it follows in the tradition of the Renaissance. I argue this because the presence of the Renaissance ideals in the artist's subject and his treatment of perspective, color and light and is too great to be ignored.
I chose a painting currently on display in The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum by Scott Noel named “Danae II”. I chose this painting because I was simply spellbound by the woman lying on her back; the subject was beautiful and her environment was entrancingly portrayed. When I realized the true subject was the mythological being I had assumed she was (the theme of the exhibition proved my assumption correct) I truly set my sights on this painting for this paper. Although this a contemporary piece I firmly believe it follows in the tradition of the Renaissance. I argue this because the presence of the Renaissance ideals in the artist's subject and his treatment of perspective, color and light and are too great to be ignored.
Peter Paul Rubens’ masterpiece, Venus and Adonis, is not only a significant artwork of the baroque-period in Europe during the 17th century, but it also tells the mythological story that begins with love, and ends in tragedy. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this painting is admired for representing the unique baroque-style of this era, as well as Rubens’ particular use of the medium and how it reaches those who are viewing it. His attention to detail and crafty use of symbolism within the painting assist viewers in deciphering the story, along with the values of the time period in which Rubens was living. In studying the composition of the work and noting the historical context from which it came, one can ultimately understand Rubens’ point-of-view and thus, connect to the painting in a way he or she has never imagined.
It appears to me that pictures have been over-valued; held up by a blind admiration as ideal things, and almost as standards by which nature is to be judged rather than the reverse; and this false estimate has been sanctioned by the extravagant epithets that have been applied to painters, and "the divine," "the inspired," and so forth. Yet in reality, what are the most sublime productions of the pencil but selections of some of the forms of nature, and copies of a few of her evanescent effects, and this is the result, not of inspiration, but of long and patient study, under the instruction of much good sense…
painting of a woman be so famous?” Well, probably one of the reasons this painting is
Prior to the 20th century, female artists were the minority members of the art world (Montfort). They lacked formal training and therefore were not taken seriously. If they did paint, it was generally assumed they had a relative who was a relatively well known male painter. Women usually worked with still lifes and miniatures which were the “lowest” in the hierarchy of genres, bible scenes, history, and mythological paintings being at the top (Montfort). To be able to paint the more respected genres, one had to have experience studying anatomy and drawing the male nude, both activities considered t...
The painting, in its simplest form, consists of a naked woman lying elegantly upon stately and rich cloths, while a young, also nude boy, is holding a mirror which contains her reflection. Upon first glance of this work, I was quickly able to make out the identity of the two subjects. ...
The contrasts between depth and surface, figure and landscape, promiscuity and modesty, beauty and vulgarity all present themselves in de Kooning’s Woman and Bicycle. Although the figure is a seemingly normal woman out for an afternoon with her bike, she becomes so much more through the artist’s use of color, contrast, and composition. The exotic nature of woman presents itself in her direct stare and slick buxom breasts in spite of a nearly indiscernible figure. It is understood that, on the whole, de Kooning did not paint with a purpose in mind, but rather as an opportunity to create an experience, however, that does not go to say that there isn’t some meaning that can come of this work. Even Willem de Kooning once said that art is not everything that is in it, but what you can take out of it (Hess p.144).
Kenneth Clark said “No nude, however abstract, should fail to arouse the spectator in some vestige of erotic feeling.” I don’t believe this is true for today’s art and especially not of Tim Parker’s nude paintings. Clark differenciated the naked and the nude as voluntary vs. involuntary. To him being naked was to be deprived of clothes which would cause a feeling of embarassent to the model. To be nude the womans body would have to been re-formed into an idealized verson of herself. Clark’s ideas were often drivin by attraction, he claimed that correcct proportions, and manipulated bodies in artwork were mainly for the appeal of men. The women included in Parker’s work are primariliy slim so some viewers may argue that when discussing Kenneth Clark’s idea’s that he would consider Parker’s paintings nude’s, or idealized versions of the women he used as models.
This paper explains the history and development of the nude art in the Renaissance and Medieval period. In the Renaissance age the patrons and artist readopted the antiquity of the classical Greek into representation of nude. This is an epoch when drastic changes occurred in which Christian authorities no longer viewed the nude art as something conflicting or shameful. In contrary they believed that nude being reformed in ancient in classical antiquity portrays divine characteristics and emancipates the light that is pure and heroic (Long, 2008; Bonfante, 1989; Tinagli, 1997). To establish a further understanding why during the Renaissance age nude art brilliantly portrayed human anatomy, the work of some most remarkable artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Masaccio and Durer are described (Long, 2008) These minds welcomed the classical antiquity into their paintings and sculpturing and often the Greek athletic figures and mythological Venus figure were used as ideal models in depicting nude art (Bonfante, 1989). The classical renewal of nude art had specific roles attached to both male and female nude, in the world of art. The religious figures were depicted in antique forms as to convey their theological status and importance. In contrast to the Renaissance period, the Medieval representation of nude art was rare and Religious authorities oppose its development as they believed it may lead to sin and degradation (Long, 2008; Steinberg, 1983). In short this paper will present a historical overview of the nude art and how the diverse cultural attitude towards depiction of nude existed in each period.
In fact, some of the works presented depict mythological paintings that resemble the transcending Metaphysical matter of nature. Take for instance, the general aspect of the artworks presented in this chapter. They depict different social levels through the use of objects, emotions and various conditions. The lower status contradicts, the slaves to the wealthy and royalty, all delineate the role of the people present in the society and their everyday life. In the images, the poor and the slaves depicted with little to no possessions, looking tired and over-worked. Through their everyday labor, they must survive as a less fortunate person. In contrast to the images of the po...
Rembrandt van Rijn, a prolific painter and etcher, is noted as the greatest Dutch artist of the Golden Age. Pasadena’s Norton Simon museum is home to some of his achievements, including one of his many self portraits titled Self Portrait painted in 1636-1638. Throughout his lifetime, Rembrandt documented his life in paintings. This autobiography of self portraits was very uncommon for the seventeenth century and helped establish his reputation as an artist. These portraits created a timeline of Rembrandt’s life, as well as document the evolution of his artistic style and expression. He was an exceptional inspiration to the following generation of artists.