Nude figures provide artists with valuable expressive resources. They have the ability to portray human beings in special ways. They are diametrically opposed to those of figures dressed in trench coats, caps, and dark sunglasses. They also encourage the artist to present people in a non-historical setting if he so desires (Yoder 3). Over time, the growth of female nudity in arts are noticeable. The three arts of Titian, Manet, and Cox which talks about the evolution of female nudity are compared when it comes to seduction, race, female beauty, and role of “Male gaze.”
The Duke of Urbino gave the oil painting by Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) entitled “Venus of Urbino” to his young wife as a present in 1538. He used Venus, the goddess of beauty to represent the woman in the painting (Kleiner 654). An innocent yet seductive smile is observed from the woman. Her body's light and warm hue contrast with the dark backdrop, bringing out her features that show the image of an ideal Renaissance woman. There is also a dog at her feet that may represent being faithful and obligated to her husband. Meanwhile, the housemaid at the right corner may represent the image of motherhood where she is glancing at the young girl who is searching inside the chest. The painting shows the emblem of marriage, eroticism, and motherhood (Jewitt). The painting's obvious eroticism prompted the woman’s obligation she would have to serve her husband.
Another painting inspired by Venus of Urbino is the art of Édouard Manet in 1863 called “Olympia” which displays a nude woman in the same position as Venus in the previous painting, wearing just ornaments that shows wealth. Manet portrayed her as a prostitute where an image of the bouquet is seen that may represent a gift from her customer (Kleiner 822). From her expression, a sensual glare is observed from her to the viewer as if she is taking the viewer as her customer. The accessories she wears such as a belt, a black ribbon, and slippers, highlight her nakedness, while the black maidservant introduces an extrinsic view of harem scenes which typically happen to black maidens (Folland). Instead of a dog, there is a black cat at the foot of the bed which may represent a sophisticated image or slyness characteristics.
Renee Cox reconceptualizes the modern version of Manet’s “Olympia” in her own version entitled “Olympia's Boyz” in 2001 (Eversley 72). Unlike the other artists, she is the model of her own artworks. It shows the culture of Africa in the form of their clothing (spears and fabrics) where her two sons are wearing and observed standing as her attendant from her marriage to a white man. The same position with the previous arts is observed but her position is more dominating than the rest. It must be because of her seductive yet intimidating look in contrast to the smiles from the previous paintings. Her ramifications focus on every aspect of the encounter between Europe and Africa, but especially the sexual exchanges that arose as a result of it (Photo Essay). She shows that black eroticism has always been connected with white eroticism by swapping “Olympia’s” maid to her sons from an interracial marriage. She is propagating that the black beauty of African Americans should not be hidden or be sorry for.
I will now compare different art of female nudity to see its evolution over time. The first one is the Venus of Urbino by Titian in 1538. In his art, it depicts how women appear in ancient heroines with fair skin, loose blonde hair, flirtatious gaze, suggestive clothing or nudity, a floral offering, and expensive jewelry. I also noticed how the figure of the woman was shown in the picture, which depicts the beauty of the goddess. Venus, as depicted by Titian, most likely portrays a stereotypical and idealized female beauty, as she embodies the Belle Donne portrayal Titian popularized in Venice. Others view the goddess as a mistress or a courtesan, but I think it is just a picture of sexy nude women in older times. While in the art of Manet, Olympia, the woman was seen as a prostitute, which I agree with completely. She was painted flatly like she inhabits the seamy, contemporary world of Parisian prostitution. I also saw a black woman in the painting of Manet, and I think it shows the racism in colonial periods. I agree with the criticisms faced by this art as it stopped the standards of nudity contained in ancient art. The last piece of female nudity is Renee Cox’s “Olympia’s Boyz.” Compared to the first two, I think this is the most modernized art. I believed that Cox conveyed to stop racial and gender stereotypes by presenting modern visual depictions of African Americans. The model directs her gaze squarely at the camera, showing her beauty as a black woman. She shows that black sexuality is and has always been intertwined with white sexuality by replacing the original painting's black maid with her sons from interracial marriage to a white man. She showed the world that black or white, none of it matters as we are all human beings.
The evolution of female nudity has greatly affected the field of arts in ancient and modern times. The three arts compared have shown different characteristics of female nudity and the themes that are want to be expressed during those times. Some may view the piece as life-changing, while others may criticize it for its theme.
Want is your opinion about this topic? ✨
Works Cited
Eversley, Shelly. "Renee Cox: The Big Picture." Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art, vol. 18, 2003, p. 72-75. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/article/422706.
Folland, Tom. Édouard Manet, Olympia. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becomingmodern/avant-gardefrance/realism/a/manet-olympia.
Jewitt, J. R. Titian, Venus of Urbino. Khan Academy.
Kleiner, Fred. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History. 15th ed., Boston, Mass: Cengage Learning, 2015.
Oxford African American Studies Center. Photo Essay - African American Women and Photography. Oxford University Press 2021. https://oxfordaasc.com/page/photo-essay-african-american-women-and-photography
Yoder, B. Nudity in Art: A Virtue or Vice? Art Renewal Center. https://artrenewal.org/Article/Title/nudity-in-art-a-virtue-or-vice