' according to usage and conventions which are at last being questioned but have by no means been overcome - men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at'
[insert image]
Hans Memling
'vanity'
1485
The artist paints the womens body because the likes looking at it. However by placing a mirror in the womens hand it looks like its the women who is enjoying looking at herself. The title plays on this by the use of vanity.
Alexandre Cabanel
'birth of venus'
1863
The woman is laying on the waves and by having her arms over her face and shows how she's just waking or going to sleep, by having her eyes covered by her arms it lets us view her body without feeling although we are being looked at.
Sophie Dahl for Opium
the advert was withdrawn due to not passing censorship. Its sexual nature of the advert was too much for them to allow it to run. However it was brought back as another advert whereas the model has been changed from horizontal to vertical and thus changing the main view point.
Titian's Venus of Urbino,
1538
This image shows the women looking at us but smiling slightly and relaxed asif it is ok for us to be looking. The wealthy women in the picture has slaves in the background showing she isn't bothered about being naked.
Manet
'Olympia
1863
The women in this picture is using her hand to hide her genitals however her positioning shows she is happy to be seen naked. She is an assertive female presence. There is a servant women offering a gift to olympia but is turning away from the offering asif she isn't interested.
Ingres,
'Le Grand Ordalisque',
1814
1985,
Gorilla Girls
This image was produced in response to the above image with a headline 'Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum'
Manet,
Bar at the Folies Bergeres,
1882
This image is important as Manet is actually in the painting. The bar made is pictures in the direct centre however it allows us to see his perception and also see ourselves reflecting us back. The mirror however is distorted as there isn't anyway we could see these reflections from the angle we are looking on.
Jeff Wall,
Picture For Women
1979
This was made in response to the above. It borrows parts from the image such as the gaze the women uses in the image and the positioning on the male. Smaller detail such as lighting are present. The camera is placed in the centre of the image and catches a picture during the making of it. The metal poles used running through the image is also used to separate the image, splits it into thirds.
Coward, R
1984
The camera in the contemporary media has been put to use as an extension of the male gaze at women on the streets. The model is almost naked and yet people in the picture are just walking by asif nothing is wrong or different. The smaller detail such as the sunglasses are referring back to covering the eyes which stops the model having a 'look' which again makes us feel like its ok to look at her.
Eva Herzigova
1994
Wonder Bra
"Hello Boys."
The model is in her underwear and she is looking down again reverting the gaze from the camera so that we feel like it is ok to look.
Male Underwear Model.
It is shown hat isn't not just the women who are used in the photographic way but also men. He isn't looking at the camera so again ok to look and not feel like your seeing the gaze from the model.
D&G advert
2007
this advert has the gaze looking at the camera asif they want to look at you looking.
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