Throughout history, the nude figure in art has reflected societal norms and moral values. This list highlights some of the most intriguing examples of the naked female body in art.
These images objectified the naked female body and promoted voyeuristic perspectives. Yet they also evoked feelings of shame and vulnerability for women.
Renaissance
During the Middle Ages, nude women rarely appeared in art. The few pictures that did were often depictions of tortured saints or biblical heroes and heroines, or the Doom paintings —pictures of the Last Judgment in which corpses rise from their graves naked (and dismembered). In contrast, the Renaissance saw the rebirth of Humanism and the revival of interest in Classical Greek and Roman culture. Artists began drawing from the body to capture the appearance of nature, and to depict the full range of human emotions.
The era’s greatest artists, including Titian, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, used the female nude body to explore themes of love, desire, shame and power. These subjects reflected the era’s religious and humanistic ideals, but they could also arouse sexual attraction in male viewers. The erotic images of the goddess Venus could be read as alluring or pornographic, depending on how they were interpreted. Artists also experimented with prints, a new medium that was spreading rapidly in the era, and some of them endured censorship from the Church for works that were considered too risqué.
In this exhibition, we look at the wide variety of ways that humanists and their patrons responded to these developments. The show is arranged thematically and juxtaposes works in different media and regions to reveal how, by the end of the Renaissance, depictions of the nude body were as diverse as the people who created them.
We begin the show in Italy, a center of Humanism, with works from Florence and Mantua that reflect the rich sculptural tradition of that era. From there, we explore a number of different reactions to the nude in the rest of Europe, from the sexualization of women to the depiction of eroticism and anatomical accuracy.
One of the most striking pieces in the exhibition is a 1510 painting by Giorgione called ‘Sleeping Venus,’ which represents the first nude lying woman in art history. The work suggests a mythological allegory about genital pleasure. Its subject, the goddess of love and fertility, is shown reclining with her hand seemingly pleasuring her genitals. The gesture references gynecological treatises of the time, which stated that female masturbation was beneficial and could increase a woman’s fertility.
Baroque
The Baroque art movement emerged from the ashes of the Renaissance in 1527, as Europe faced a religious backlash. The Catholic Counter-Reformation sought to reestablish the church’s grandeur, and artists responded with dramatic compositions that exuded sensuality and symbolism. The Baroque style is defined by its contrasts of depth and light, movement, and intense emotion. The movement also emphasized the use of chiaroscuro and tenebrism, a technique that intensifies contrast between light and shadow to highlight important elements of a painting or sculpture.
The movement is characterized by a sense of urgency, and its bold realism was perfect for the church’s propagandistic mission. Baroque art often portrayed Biblical scenes to encourage churchgoers to attend mass and renew their faith. However, the style was used to depict non-religious themes as well, including portraits, still lifes, and mythical subjects.
Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens exemplified the Baroque style in his paintings of mythological subjects and allegorical scenes. His dramatic compositions and use of strong tonal contrast influenced other Baroque artists, such as Jean-Antoine Watteau and Francois Boucher. The Baroque style also influenced the development of Rococo, which was lighter in tone and more closely tied to courtly life.
In the 17th century, the Baroque style dominated Europe, with influences from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France. Its emphasis on drama and movement was ideal for representing Biblical stories, as well as secular subjects like aristocratic events or battles. The Baroque style also incorporated a nod to Renaissance classicism, and its influence continued into the next decade, when it evolved into the more flamboyant Rococo, which was popular in France, southern Germany, and Poland.
Baroque nude paintings accentuated the beauty, grace, and symbolic significance of the female form. In these works, the viewer is drawn in by the dynamic energy of the figure and the interplay of light and shadow. The use of flowing draperies and symbolic objects further enhances the power of these artworks. These pieces are a testament to the Baroque’s ability to inspire and enthrall, and they remain captivating today.
Rococo
The Rococo period marked the end of the Baroque’s reign of grandeur and introduced a more lighthearted, playful aesthetic. This new artistic style was influenced by the Venetian school, with its emphasis on swirling color and scenes of opulent pleasure. It also drew from profound religious and historical subjects to more personal legendary scenes, perspectives of everyday life, and picture-like subject matter. The Rococo style was embraced by French artists such as Honoré Fragonard and Antoine Watteau, who depicted nude women in pastoral landscapes, little cherubs, and debauched love stories.
The rococo movement was not without controversy, however, and it was criticized as superficial, vain, and frivolous. It aimed to please 18th century aristocrats who had left behind the rigidity of Louis XIV’s court. In painting, this meant more rounded shapes and curvy forms. It also featured iridescent colors and a rich golden earthy palette.
Fragonard’s Portrait of a Woman demonstrates the na
In literature, the principal Rococo genres were erotic light poetry (French: poesie legere or poesie fugitive) and sonnets, madrigals, and fairy tales. The art of the Rococo era may seem a bit escapist today, but its aesthetics have continued to influence painters and designers. Yinka Shonibare’s Swing (After Fragonard), for example, takes a famous painting by Fragonard of a nobleman gazing at his lover’s crotch and transforms it into a life-sized sculpture that highlights themes of hedonism and erotic excess.
Its enduring allure means that the nude female figure has become an integral component of Western culture. The sexy beauty of a female body has captivated artists from the seventeenth century to the present, with each successive generation refashioning classical ideals in new and exciting ways. Nude women have long been a catalyst for the expression of ideas, beliefs, and values in human society, serving as an ideal for aspiring to feminine beauty and bolstering dominant ideologies.
Modern
The Modern was a turning point for nude women in art. In the early 20th Century, artists began to make bolder statements with this type of wall art. Some of these images were viewed as erotic or pornographic, but they also drew on the natural human form for inspiration. Nude art has continued to grow in popularity, and you can find it in many forms. These include paintings, drawings, and photos. Although it may be controversial to some people, this type of wall art is still a great addition to any home. You can display it in your living room, bedroom, or club.
Before the Modern, depictions of the female nude were largely confined to classical models and the occasional heroic one. In Greek sculpture, the male nude was more popular than the female one. During the medieval period, depictions of female nudes were often covered with robes or fig leaves. Even Adam and Eve were shown naked with a fig leaf covering their genitalia in Christian art.
Art photography at first tried to copy painting, but it was clear that this wouldn’t work. It was a good thing too, because painting had moved on from its classical origins. The frankness of Expressionism and the post-classical commentary of Matisse and Picasso demonstrate that nude painting had evolved to a different level.
Lee Friedlander’s nude photographs reflect a modern interpretation of the classic female form. He shows the sexy side of a woman’s body by capturing her intimate and sensual poses. He uses broken planes of color and anatomical exposures to convey the body’s lines in a more realistic manner than Klimt or Rodin had done before him. The crouching and contorted poses of his models are reminiscent of Schiele, who was a great influence on Friedlander’s language.