‘Men Act, and Women Appear’: Picturing the Nude
The nude has always been one of the central subjects of art; from Classical Greece, up until the present day. Once considered the epitome of beauty, the nude is now regularly the subject of censorship and controversy.
This study day will investigate how images of the nude reflect social attitudes of the time. It will raise questions about our changing relationship with the human body.
Should we be censoring the nude?
Is the female nude always portrayed as an object of desire?
Are male nudes always symbols of power?
What has conditioned us to believe these notions?
Are there artists who challenge the conventional gender roles?
It will consider these questions and explore how the nude has enraptured and enraged generations of viewers throughout history!