Essential reading revision sem1 Flashcards
Medieval love was often materialised…
in objects such as jewellery, illuminated manuscripts and ivory carvings. these items were markers of courtship.
- The Medieval Art of Love, Camille
the difference between how female desire and male fantasies are portrayed
Female desire is often portrayed as more romantic whereas male desire is erotic
- The Medieval Art of Love, Camille
Love as a performance?
Love in the Medieval period was often performed through gestures, rituals and exchanges of objects. More like a pefprmance using props to form romantic and erotic interactions.
- The Medieval Art of Love, Camille
Temporal situation of the Renaissance nude
the Renaissance nude was a product of its time, shaped by the human ideals for beauty and morality.
- The Italian Renaissance Nude, Burke
Chess in Medieval art
Chess is often depicted with sexual connotations. The game is filled with tension between the two players constantly tying to one up the other
- The Medieval Art of Love, Camille
Were all Renaissance nudes idealised?
the common conception that all Renaissance nudes were idealised such as Michelangelo’s David is not true. there were a wider range of nudes, including those that were unconventional, grotesque, or erotic, arguing that Renaissance representations were far more diverse than commonly thought
- The Italian Renaissance Nude, Burke
How were female Renaissance nudes portrayed?
female bodies were often portrayed as passive and decorative, catering to male viewers
- The Italian Renaissance Nude, Burke
How were male Renaissance nudes portrayed?
male nudes often conveyed strength, power, or intellectual depth
- The Italian Renaissance Nude, Burke
Renaissance Nudes for private pleasure?
Renaissance nudes often found their place in private settings, such as bedrooms or studioli (private studies), where they catered to the tastes and desires of elite patrons. These artworks were sometimes overtly sexualized, intended to arouse rather than to inspire lofty philosophical contemplation.
- The Italian Renaissance Nude, Burke
How did Renaissance nudes inspire artistic skill?
Renaissance artists employed innovative techniques to depict flesh, movement, and anatomy, reflecting a growing interest in naturalism and the study of the human body
- The Italian Renaissance Nude, Burke
The female viewpoint in Renaissance nudes
When women participated in the creation or commissioning of nudes, they often introduced nuanced depictions of the female body, shifting the focus from passive objectification to empowerment or storytelling. For instance, their nudes might emphasize qualities like agency, strength, or maternal symbolism, offering a counterbalance to the male-dominated erotic gaze.
- The Italian Renaissance Nude, Burke
The notion “great artist”
the notion of the “great artist” as an isolated genius, arguing that this concept is a product of historical and cultural conditions that have systematically excluded women.
- Why have there been no Great Women Artists?, Nochlin
What were the institutional barriers for female artists?
Women were often denied the basic opportunities required to develop as artists, such as formal training, access to art academies, and the ability to study from nude models.Social expectations confined women to domestic roles, limiting their ability to pursue artistic careers. Female artists who did achieve recognition often came from privileged backgrounds or had supportive male relatives in the art world eg. Lavina Fontana
- Why have there been no great Women Artists?, Nochlin
Bosch’s realism…
Captures the tangible world while simultaneously destabilising it
- Impossible objects: Bosch’s realism, Koerner
“impossible” objects
Hybrid creatures, surreal architecture structures blur the boundary between the real and the imagined
- Impossible Objects: Boshc’s realism, Koerner
