The Female Nude: Art, Obscenity and SexualityAnyone who examines the history of Western art must be struck by the prevalence of images of the female body. More than any other subject, the female nude connotes `art'. The framed image of a female body, hung on the walls of an art gallery, is an icon of Western culture, a symbol of civilization and accomplishment. But how and why did the female nude acquire this status? |
Contents
The Damaged Venus | 12 |
The Framework of Tradition | 12 |
THe Lessons of the Life Class | 12 |
Art Criticism and Sexual Metaphor | 12 |
Breaking Open the Boundaries | 12 |
Redrawing the Lines | 12 |
Cultural Distinctions | 29 |
Sacred Frontiers | 30 |
Pure and Motivated Pleasure | 33 |
Policing the Boundaries | 33 |
Displaying the Female Body | 33 |
A Frame for Desire | 33 |
Notes | 33 |
39 | |
67 | |