There is a centuries-long history of the use of the female nude in art all the way back to antiquity. The female nude has gone from a symbol of fertility and beauty to something that is now the subject of controversy or censorship over time.
The female nude was depicted throughout ancient Greece and Rome as a natural symbol of fertility and beauty. Ancient Greek and Roman artists created statues of a mathematically proportioned, bountiful-bosomed female form that became the ultimate standards by which beauty has been judged throughout history. Lasting pieces of art such as the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace are still appreciated today for their gracefulness and beauty.
Artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci chose to still honor the female form, but during the Renaissance period, they began showing more focus on the individuality and realism of bodies. The idealized version of women, the prime symbol of purity, and innocence and grace, gave way to flesh-encamped creatures with emotional complexity and agency.
The female nude, however, would become a taboo by the Victorian era. Art, however, subdued or obfuscated the female body because prudish society simply had no means for public consumption of nudity. However, this puritanical attitude toward nudity in art soon fell by the wayside due to a new moral code in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th century. Olympia by Édouard Manet is a renowned piece of art today, but was met with anger and horror in 1865 when it premiered. On the canvas, a nude woman lies on a bed staring out at the viewer as a black maid brings her flowers. Many found this presentation of a naked woman to be scandalous, as well as the painting as immoral or vulgar.
Over the years it has grown and expanded, right up to today: The female nude; which is still one of the most prevalent topics in contemporary art. Artists such as Lisa Yuskavage have taken a more contemporary feminist approach to the subject, turning traditional male attitudes towards the female form on their head in a celebration of femininity’s beauty and grace. On the male side of the balance, Jack Vettriano immediately springs to mind. His work is rarely nude but instead is romantic, provocative, even a little bit naughty. He is one of the key contemporary artists in our era and a big influence on many artists present today displaying their art.
The image of the female body in art has changed a lot over time, always varying with each social paradigm, ebbing, and flowing as per social norms and artistic movements. Despite this, the female nude is shown and challenged as a still powerful and eternal icon for beauty, power, and provocation. Its legacy lives on inspiring artists and finding more viewers, demonstrating for all time that its place in the history of art is pretty secure.
As for today, the art of displaying women nudes is made many folds larger because of the internet and their websites. A great women nude website like womensnudes.com, has made the art more beautiful by showcasing female nudes taken using professional camera. The lights are perfect, the positions are perfect, and everything around the picture is perfect. Take a visit, and you watch every kind of woman you like nude online. It’s going to make you smile for sure.
