Images of Women in Art

by

Siong Hoon Wendy Tan

The article on “Visual Literacy as the Key to Fabricating Racist, Colonialist and Sexist Implications in a work by Liu Kang” focuses on making visual interpretation on the work, titled Artist and Model by Chinese Singaporean artist Liu Kang. Liu Kang’s work depicts a male artist (known as Chen Wen Hsi) sat working on a sketching board; producing an image of a semi-dressed young woman who seated opposite him.

I am particularly interested in the writer’s remark on the power difference between the two genders in an image All the examples used by the writer to justify his observation are works done by male artists of different period from 16 th century to the 20 th century. All the examples reinforce the whole concept of the woman being typecast as passive and seen as object inviting 'male voyeurism'. The first part of my essay, I will support the writer’s comment with my own observations. As well as suggesting a different way of looking at the female image in the second part of my essay.

In a patriarchy society, because the female is always put in a passive situation, naturally it is relatively easy to have the idea of a female as an image that must be viewed as a passive object. There are several well-known artists painted pictures suggesting a stereotyping gender patterns, irregardless the female is fully clothes or not. They can be images of their wives and daughters. These images are usually women engage in activity such as arranging flowers, playing with children, or being engaged in women's occupations such as weaving or silk production. In Jean-Francois Millet, The Gleaners, and Gustave Courbet’s The Stonebreaker, although both works depict the world of labour, nevertheless it suggest the idea of woman performing a more subtle role such as harvesting in the field and men involved in an active task that requires more strength.

The Stonebreaker, 1849

The Gleaners, 1857

It is the male desire to possess woman as wholly aesthetic objects and mould her to fit his own fantasies. Hence it is no surprise that people would believe the artists are one way or another romantically attached to their models. It is said that during the Pre-Raphaelites period, that artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti has intimate connection with the women in his works. Elizabeth Siddal was known as his favourite model that has dazzled him and appeared many times in his works (Michael Gibson) . Jane Burden, another famous model during this period, was also romantically linked to Rossetti, while at the same time she was also the mistress of the famous designer, William Morris (Michael Gibson).

While it may appear to be truth that female model seems indeed the object of men’s desire and to paint a woman is to possess her. It is also possible to think that men are falling weak for the beauty of their models and succumbing to lust and sexual desire; and spending years of relationship with them, painting them over and over again. In art and in life, some of the Pre-Raphaelite women felt the pressure to abandon humanity to become an archetype. They were dreams coming to life in paints, and it was this living dream, which the artists could not help but fall in love with (Elizabeth Lee).

Lutz mentioned that Liu Kang might not be fully aware of the layers of meaning he has laminated into the work. This is maybe true to some artists. Then again we may have interpreted the intention of these artists wrongly. Perhaps we should start looking at the female model as a living human being with a personality of her own. Women do claim certain power and message through their bodies and faces though they are silent and still in the paintings.

For examples, Da Vinci has succeeded in portraying Mona Lisa’s personality by breaking away from the profile portrait. It was then the traditional style of Renaissance art during the early 15 th century. By creating the three quarter pose, the female could then “engage the eyes of the viewer”, and the viewer, therefore, could get a glimpse into her personality (Mary D. Garrard). 

In Liberty Leading the People, by Eugene Delacroix, the semi-dressed female holding the flag of France powerful striding across the barricades, leading a group of people. This symbolises liberty and France (Rita Gibert). Delacroix had created a totally different quality on his female to the viewer.

Liberty Leading the People, 1830

Similarly, Liu Kang has portrayed the woman semi-dressed; however he has also captured the exotic beauty of the Balinese woman and her modesty by turning her body and her gaze away from the viewer. The artist acknowledges his model’s sexuality but praises it.

The world is ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking is split between active male and passive female.  This means that the society recognizes the male gender and their sexuality as the dominant norm; and female became the victim of stereotyping. Thus, with a mindset as such, it is no doubt the viewer tends to read the female image as an object of sexual obsession and possession.

Bibliography and Notes:

Garrard, Mary D. Feminism and Art History. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. 1982.

Gilbert, Rita. Living with Art. USA: MacGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992.

Goffin, Rona.  “Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love and Marriage.”  The Expanding Discourse:  Feminism and Art History.  Ed. Norma Broude and Mary D. Garrard. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1992.

Lee, Elizabeth. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Britain: The Victorian Websites. 1997

Marsh, Jan. Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood. London: Quartet Books 1985 and Tokyo. Heibon-sha Tokyo, 1997.