Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907, by Picasso (Museum of Modern Art, NY)
The human body has occupied a central place in art since early times. From the voluptuous prehistoric Venus of Willendorf to Ingres’s iconic odalisque to Picasso’s cubist figures, the variety of physiques depicted by artists reflects constantly changing opinions of the ideal. Clothed—or not—the depiction of men and women reveal the impact of aesthetic, social, political, religious, and personal influences.
Art historian Janetta Rebold Benton, a Distinguished Professor of art history at Pace University, traces the histories of anatomical accuracy and artificial enhancement through the millennia as artists chase the paradigm of perfection.
9:30–10:30 a.m. Prehistoric to Ancient Greek
B.C. to "be seen": from the Venus of Willendorf, Cycladic figurines, and Egyptian Nefertiti to classical Greek gods.
10:45–12 noon Roman to Medieval
Bodies disguised, distorted, and displayed: from Emperor Augustus, Byzantine Theodora and Justinian, and Lady Godiva to Charles V.
12–1 p.m. Lunch (participants provide their own)
1–2:15 p.m. Renaissance to Baroque
Anatomical accuracy and exaggeration: from Michelangelo's muscular men, Dürer's science, and Rubens's voluptuous women to Louis XIV and high (-heeled) fashion.
2:30–3:30 p.m. Rococo to Today
Body language: from Fragonard's pampered ladies, Ingres's distorted odalisque, and Rodin's sensual sculpture to Picasso's fragmented forms.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1 credit
Other Connections
When John Singer Sargent’s Portrait of Madame X, now revered as one of his masterworks, was unveiled in 1884 it became the instant focus of a controversy that blended art, scandal, sex, and fashion. Learn more about the woman who posed for the portrait that would be her downfall, and why she inspired choreographer Christopher Wheeldon to transform her story into his ballet Strapless.
