Images of the Nude Male in European Art Essay - 706 Words

The human body, especially the nude male figure, has been a subject of art since the first scratching appeared on cave walls. Stick figures with phalluses denoted the male, procreation and dominance. Archeologists have found evidences proving that the male nude appeared in Egypt in the early Dynastic periods and in early Mesopotamia four thousand years ago. The Greek made the nude into art, and we, the Americans, made it into something commonly referred to as pornography. Until today, nude is still a major subject in art that everyone would have seen a few times, either in display cases of a museum or in greater numbers of male underwear ads. Myself being a boy of the old capital of Vietnam, I grew up with such statues in the†¦show more content†¦In Greek culture, the image of Apollo was believed an archetypal idea for male physical beauty. Unsurprisingly, his female counterpart was Venus. The statue was found in Rome during the 15th century, and you can see the pose is repeatedly used in painting and sculpture over centuries. Many fashion designers are favoring this pose, languid leaner, exists in classical art alongside more heroic models of male beauty (Bordo 406). Apollo stands there solidly, with left hand raising high; his body projects strength, solidity; hes no male waif (Bordo 392). He calmly looks straight at you as i f daring you to offend him. And of course, his penis is invisible, a symbol of malehood. Unlike the Romans, the Greek had no problem with getting naked. They did not cover their private parts with a leaf or clothes, they showed it all. One of the most famous statues of all time is the statue of David of Michelangelo. David stands 13 feet 5 inches high. The creation of the piece happened during the Renaissance, the rebirth of classical ideas. At that time, Florence needed a centerpiece to represent the city. The colossal piece of marble had been awaiting a sculptor who could do something with it for many years. Inside this piece of marble, Michelangelo saw young and powerful David. The image of David was chose to reflect theShow MoreRelatedChapter 3 Summary, Ways of Seeing Essay705 Words   |  3 Pagesof his book, â€Å"Ways of Seeing†, John Berger argues that in western nude art and present day media, that women are largely shown and treated as objects upon whom power is asserted by men either as figures in the canvas or as spectators. Berger’s purpose is to make readers aware of how the perception of women in the art so that they will recognize the evolution of western cultured art. Berger begins by claiming that in nude art the â€Å"presence† of a man is that of an actor who asserts his power overRead MoreImpact Of Pop Art1448 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"THE MALE GAZE AS DEPICTED IN TOM WESSELMANN’S POP ART† Christopher Zacherl ARTH 3340: Art of the United States November 20, 2017 In the 1960s, pop art represented the attempt to return to a more objective, universally acceptable form of art following the dominance of the highly personal Abstract Expressionism in the United States and Europe. It was considered very radical compared to what the art world had seen in the 40s and 50s, rejecting the supremacy of the â€Å"high art† of theRead MoreThe Period Of Greek Art866 Words   |  4 PagesMidterm Throughout the times in Greek art, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods have changed overtime from the sculptures in the form, style, and symmetry. The Archaic period lasted from 700 to 500 BCE and the sculptures haven’t yet mastered in sculpting showing realism. Their style of sculpting was similar to the Egyptians in the way that they made the bodies of the sculptures rigid with both arms on their sides and with a foot stepped forward (Greek Archaic Art). By the end of the Archaic periodRead MoreEssay on Advertisement: Greek Statue and Perfume1462 Words   |  6 Pageseyes catch an image of a nude man holding a clothed woman. The man has a muscular body and is effortlessly supporting the woman whos body is arched backwards, her arms hang in a swan-like manner. On the ground by her left foot lays a paint palette and her right hand is grasping a paint brush. The room that they are in appears to be a studio with press board floors, brick walls, and old unfinished wooden workbenches draped in cloth. The woman is painting a canvas with the image of the nude man. The foregroundRead MoreArt Critique : The Painting Of The Mi a Will Be Portrait Of Catherine Coustard 764 Words   |  4 PagesKarina Silverstein Philosophy of Art 11/18/2015 Art Critique The paintings that I will be talking about from the MIA will be Portrait of Catherine Coustard (1673-1728), by Nicolas de Largilliere, Diogenes (17th century), by Johann Carl Loth, LES FLANEUSES (2008) by Ghada Amer, and Portrait of Lucia Wijbrants (1638-1719), by Gabriel Metsu. My critique will be from the perspective of Berger. when captions are added to a painting, it impacts the viewer and changes the meaning of the painting itselfRead MoreFeminism in the Western World1342 Words   |  5 Pagescontrol of their own body image or if this idea of female empowerment is actually an illusion. BODY In order to discover the position of the current power balance regarding female body image it is necessary to review it within a historical context. Within the history of art the gender power imbalance is most startling especially in reference to the nude. Berger(1972) describes the European oil paintings of the Renaissance period as created for the pleasure of the male spectator. Paintings of thisRead MoreRenoirs Depection of Women in 19th Century Art2089 Words   |  9 PagesRenoir’s Depiction of Women in 19th Century Art The societal view of men verses women depicted in artwork during the nineteenth century differs from today’s view on the same subject. Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), an impressionist painter in the European Arts, began his career in the early 1860’s. Many of the impressionistic painters of this time focused their paintings on landscapes, flower pieces and still-life works. Renoir’s work was mainly focused on portraits, largely female portraitsRead MoreANALYSIS OF ANGELICA KAUFFMAN ‘TELEMACHUS ON HIS RETURN TO HIS MOTHER’ 1770-1780 OIL ON CANVAS 1325 Words   |  6 PagesEngland’s John Locke who advanced the concept of â€Å"empiricism†. This denotes that accepting knowledge of matters of fact descends from experience and personal involvement1. Locke’s concept assisted the improvements of microscopes and telescopes allowing art students in the French academy to observe real life1. Science and experience influenced painti ng more so in Neo-Classicalism. Locke fought for people’s rights and the power or â€Å"contract† between the ruler and the ruled. Reasoning that â€Å"the Light inRead MoreThe Discovery Of America By Jan Van Der Straet1987 Words   |  8 Pagesrelationship between the Europeans of the Old World and the indigenous people of the New World. Exoticism, anxiety, and absurd speculation would fuel the European knowledge of the Americas during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The drawing titled America by Jan Van der Straet, is a classic example of how Europeans used outlandish notions about indigenous Americans to distance themselves from these natives and thus, establish European superiority. Ultimately, Jan van der Straet’s image supports and justifiesRead MoreImpressionism And Its Impression On Modern Art1181 Words   |  5 PagesAnd its Impression on Modern Art One of the earliest forms of communication and documentation was art, from cave paintings, to Egyptian Hieroglyphs, to Renaissance portraits. Throughout the beginning of time, artistic style has evolved, and is still continuing to evolve. One early impact on Modern Art was Impressionism. Impressionism was defined as French nineteenth century art movement between 1867 and 1886 that marks the momentary break from tradition in European painting. In the middle of the