Renaissance Nudity

Renaissance Nudity

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190214-is-the-renaissance-nude-religious-or-erotic

The article I have chosen is called “The Female Model and the Renaissance Nude: Durer, Giorgione, and Raphael” by Joanne G. Bernstein. The article looks at artworks made from famous artists and elaborated how and why these pieces of artworks were created. For instance, the article focused on a specific piece called “Leda and the Swan” by Leonardo de Vinci and explained how “Leonardo’s extant drawings of female anatomy, like those planned for the treatise, are restricted to the female genitalia and reproductive organs, whereas the extant anatomical drawing of the male includes a wide range of detailed studies of the muscular and skeletal systems as well as the reproductive organs.” (Bernstein 51). Saying this implies how Leonardo de Vinci views his pieces and why they look the way they look.

Leonardo de Vinci's artwork

Comparing to the JSTOR article to chapter 13, one main idea that was discussed in the article and not in chapter 13 was when the article had discussed studio practice. The article had stated “This article has focused on studio practice because it is one of the neglected factors in discussions of the Renaissance nude” (Bernstein 61). Chapter 13 had discussed many artists and famous people during the Renaissance such as Raphael and Michelangelo. Michelangelo was also famous for creating nude art pieces. For instance “In the lower center of Raphael’s School of Athens is a lone figure leaning one elbow on a block of marble and scribbling, taking no notice of the exalted scene about him” (Cummingham 300). But had not discussed studio practice. I had learned how the role of the subjects in the artist's works, were themes of sexuality and gender. Then the next step was to go broader and explore beyond sexuality and gender.

The JSTOR article called “The Female Model and the Renaissance Nude: Durer, Giorgione, and Raphael” by Joanne G. Bernstein had helped me reach a fuller understanding of the deeper meanings of artworks that were created. I was able to learn more about the specifics on certain topics. For instance, “Although there is no consensus on the specific subject portrayed here many, art historians refer to the women as witches. If the identification is correct, then the image takes on a great historical significance, for it would be one of the earliest witches” (Bernstein 55). Significance such as this one lets the audience and in this case, me, see how artists back then thought about women and why they created them in their art pieces as they did. Also creating nude figures attributes to a symbol of how different artists interpret ideas. The nude artists are essentially their take on women or men and the way they feel about them.

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Works Cited 

Bernstein, Joanne G. “The Female Model and the Renaissance Nude: Dürer, Giorgione, and Raphael.” Artibus Et Historiae, vol. 13, no. 26, 1992, pp. 49–63. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1483430. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

National Galleries of Scotland. “Is the Renaissance Nude Religious or Erotic?” BBC Culture, BBC, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190214-is-the-renaissance-nude-religious-or-erotic.

Three Eye Films. “The History of Nudity.” YouTube, YouTube, 4 Dec. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJzePj3GSCs.