Essay | The Changing Perception of the Female in Art

Since the beginning of art, the female nude has always been a representation of societal beliefs and views- the female nude holds the key to important values of the time of which it has come from. It's a key to showing feminists and historians of our time the direct thoughts each society had about their women, whether those thoughts be centred on the mythological, the biblical, the sexual, or the inequalities experienced. Unbeknownst to most artists at the time they make these artworks, they are simply reflecting the world around them on to their canvas or sculpture. It's through looking at past artworks and the society's they communicate, that we today can fully comprehend the growth of the perception of the Female.

Ancient societys focused simply on the defining characteristic of all females; their ability to give life. In some cultures this placed an extreme importance on the female as...
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