Nude figures, as old as art itself, appear in the art of most cultures, but are particular present in the History of Western Art.
This two-session series will trace the portrayal of the nude body during the course of History from Classical times through the Renaissance and the Neoclassical to Modern Era.
Session 1 - Classical to Renaissance - 24/Sep
The first session will review the Classical nude, beginning with Ancient Greece, whose culture represented the nude as a means of portraying ideals of beauty and nobility. The lecture will go on to discuss the Renaissance world in which classical ideas were revived and developed further to depict the nude figure as a representation of beauty, heroism, knowledge and the high arts of the time.
Session 2 - Neoclassical to Modern - 01/Oct
The second session will follow the development of the nude in western art through the Neoclassical and Realism periods which used the nude to chart a variety of new purposes and ideas. The discourse will end by reviewing how the 20th century changed perspective on the nude in art as emotional truth overcome physical realism.
Artworks/Artists featured include Venus of Willendorf, Venus de Milo, The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, Venus Victrix by Canova, The Turkish Bath by Ingres, Olympia by Manet, The Young Ladies of Avignon by Picasso, The Nude descending the stairs by Duchamp among others.
Art Documentaries by Seventh Art will complement the series