Female form have been one of the quintessential muses of art of all time. Many subjects are portrayed in art but the most common is the human body and to be more specific the female body. Many different representations have been used to glorify women and show their significance in life. In this paper four different art pieces will be explored that are significant to the art world and representative of the female figure. These works of art are Venus of Willendorf, The Birth of Venus (Botticelli), Woman Holding a Balance, and self-portrait. All of these pieces of art have a different way of portraying women that is unique. These four works of art are examples of the difference in appearance, functionality, influences, and reflect their society
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The painting in question is Woman Holding a Balance painted by Johannes Vermeer. The painting was previously called Woman Weighting Gold but with further inspection scholars agreed that her balance does not contain any gold therefor the paintings name was changed to its contemporary name. It is part of a large collections of paintings by Vermeer sold by in 1696 in the estate of Jacob Dissius in Amsterdam. Many themes have been theorized about the painting. Over all, all of the themes agree that the painting has a central theme of truth, justice, and punishment. Some scholar’s thing that the painting is depicting a woman weighing her morals and values. Others correlate the picture of the Last Judgment painting within the painting to symbolize that she may be a heavenly figure that is weighing the souls of others. No matter what the idea we see a woman who, unlike the first to art pieces discussed before, is dressed in full attire. She is said to look like the Virgin Mary, which brings back the religious theme. Others have suggested that her intentions may be over higher power but the fact that she is weighing treasures of earth show her true intentions. This painting depicts a different image of a woman, more of a religious figure. No longer is the woman viewed as a sexual object. It shows that societies’ view of women shifted towards a more …show more content…
In this case the painter used herself as a subject. This is unique in that before this time women were not big in the art world especially not using themselves as subjects. Paula Modersohn-Becker was born and raised in Germany and had a short carrier due to early death. She was a great influence in the early expressionism movement. The painting is a 241/4 by 12 inches and was painted on canvas with oil paint. The painting is described to use the signature technique of Modersohn-Becker “Her style reflects the flattened forms, reduced detail, heavy outlines, and solid geometry” (DeWitt p. 428). This was an advancement in the female gender roles in art and society. Modersohn-Becker was the first female artist to make naked self-portraits and also become famous in the art world. The idea that woman did not have to be sexualized by men but that a woman could be painted by another woman or herself to show beauty through a female perspective. The view on women drastically changed during this time
The painting in question is Woman Holding a Balance painted by Johannes Vermeer. The painting was previously called Woman Weighting Gold but with further inspection scholars agreed that her balance does not contain any gold therefor the paintings name was changed to its contemporary name. It is part of a large collections of paintings by Vermeer sold by in 1696 in the estate of Jacob Dissius in Amsterdam. Many themes have been theorized about the painting. Over all, all of the themes agree that the painting has a central theme of truth, justice, and punishment. Some scholar’s thing that the painting is depicting a woman weighing her morals and values. Others correlate the picture of the Last Judgment painting within the painting to symbolize that she may be a heavenly figure that is weighing the souls of others. No matter what the idea we see a woman who, unlike the first to art pieces discussed before, is dressed in full attire. She is said to look like the Virgin Mary, which brings back the religious theme. Others have suggested that her intentions may be over higher power but the fact that she is weighing treasures of earth show her true intentions. This painting depicts a different image of a woman, more of a religious figure. No longer is the woman viewed as a sexual object. It shows that societies’ view of women shifted towards a more …show more content…
In this case the painter used herself as a subject. This is unique in that before this time women were not big in the art world especially not using themselves as subjects. Paula Modersohn-Becker was born and raised in Germany and had a short carrier due to early death. She was a great influence in the early expressionism movement. The painting is a 241/4 by 12 inches and was painted on canvas with oil paint. The painting is described to use the signature technique of Modersohn-Becker “Her style reflects the flattened forms, reduced detail, heavy outlines, and solid geometry” (DeWitt p. 428). This was an advancement in the female gender roles in art and society. Modersohn-Becker was the first female artist to make naked self-portraits and also become famous in the art world. The idea that woman did not have to be sexualized by men but that a woman could be painted by another woman or herself to show beauty through a female perspective. The view on women drastically changed during this time