IB Dipolma
Extended Essay

“30,000 Years of Big Women, What caused the Modern Mortification of the Female Form?”

Sarah Martino
Candidate Number: 000193-0076
South Side High School
2013

Word Count: 3,002
Number of Pages: 14

Abstract: The goal of this essay is to address the changes in the female form in art throughout time. This topic is obviously pertains to the subject of visual arts as the main focus of this essay is evaluating the aesthetics of the female form through examples of artwork. Many research questions were considered but the one chosen was:

“30,000 Years of Big Women, What Caused the Modern Mortification of the Female Form?”
To answer this question, I chose a piece of artwork for numerous time periods that included the female form. First researching background information about the artist and the time period and then relating it to why the piece was constructed in that way.

Through much research and meetings with individuals who are familiar in this subject matter, I was able to develop an argument, which demonstrated the changes in female form for various reasons.

Table of Contents
Page 1- Title Page
Page 2- Abstract
Page 3- Table of Contents
Page 4- Essay
Page 14- Bibliography
Page 15- Table of Images

The Cyclades, are a group of Greek islands, of the Aegean Sea, were home to the Cycladic Civilization, which lasted from about 3200 BC- 1100BC. This time period is broken up by historians into the early Cycladic period (3200BC-2000BC), the Middle Cycladic Period (2000BC-1500BC), and the Late Cycladic Period (1500BC-1100BC). The Cyclades was a Bronze Age Civilization along with the Crete and the Greek main lands. These civilizations are known for their artworks, in particular their female figures. Women at this time were expected to be in the home and to weave and spin cloth. Most women were married around age fifteen. Frequency marriages were arranged and the men they were marrying were much older than them. If you were rich, women would stay exclusively indoors, and would send slaves to do anything outside, including helping her husband with farm work. Women that were wealthy were commonly kept apart from the men or confined in a separate space in the home. If you were poor, then you might have to help your husband outside.
On the left there is an example of a Cycladic female made out of marble. This piece has been labeled Steatopygous Female Figure and was made around 4500BC-4000BC or in the Bronze Age. “Steatopygous” is a geek word for a high accumulation of fat in and around the buttocks. This fat is not limited to the buttocks but could also spill over onto a thick layer outside or in the front of the thighs, occasionally even reaching the knee. “Steatopygous” was considered a sign of beauty. This figure is made out of marble. This piece has that look to it. The Steatopygous figure is characterized by certain body features, these features include a fleshy abdomen, oversized thighs and buttocks, compared to the figures flatter upper torso. Her abdomen could be swollen to show that she is pregnant. Her dimpled knees imply obesity, which was a sign of wealth and beauty, not just fertility. Her arms are framing her v-shaped breasts. Her arms also rest on her belly, further emphasizing the womb. The focus on the females reproductive parts communicate to the viewer how an important role of women in their society was their ability but also their power to reproduce. Reproduction is something that gave women power because without women there would be no future. This particular figure has lost its head over time, but the fact that it started out with a head is important. Without a head a viewer may come to the conclusion that the Cycladic peoples viewed women as only important in roles of reproduction and not valuable for any other roles. On other figurines the head was sometimes included, but this was more of stylistic preference. Along with these extremely stylized features this figures thighs also trapper down to little stump feet. This may have been a practical design so they were able to drive the figure into the ground for when a woman was giving birth or was trying to get with child. Many of the Cycladic figures have had the proportions of their bodies calculated and measured out with a compass so that they are perfectly symmetrical. This iconic design could be because the figures were viewed as idols or had attachments to spirituality, that these figures were thought of so highly that they were to be as close to perfection as possible. Whoever made this figure also preciously mapped out where they wanted to include details like folds in the skin around the knees, groin and back. This may be to highlight or draw attention to the parts of the body that are linked to female sexual parts and shows the cultures ideas of beauty, desire and reproduction. All of their choices were definitely intentional and are not to be over looked that is why this is such a valuable resource for learning more about the Cycladic civilization.
The Venus of Willendorf is another example of early imagery of the human body. Shown on the left, the Venus of Willendorf was made between 24000BC and 22000BC and is carved out of oolitic limestone and tinted with red ochre. The red color could symbolize menstruation or birthing. She is just over 4 and half inches tall and was discovered on the banks of the Danube River in Austria. Her size signifies that she is meant to be carried around as an idol, similar to the Cycladic sculptures. It was most likely made by local hunter and gatherers. Compared to present day, the area around the Danube River was much colder and a remnant of Europe’s last ice age. People spend months cooped up in caves to survive the extreme temperatures. During these times any fat on their bodies would have been burned off. The Venus of Willendorf’s head is either covered in rows of plaited hair or a type of headdress. This could also characterize her as a goddess or priestess, someone who is sacred and has had special treatment. Her arms are resting on her extremely swollen breasts to frame and call attention to them. She has a fleshy abdomen and buttocks, which is very similar to the Cycladic figures. Also reminiscent of the Cycladic are the massive thighs that taper down to little stomp feet. Scientists believe that whoever made the Venus of Wilendorf saw the figure in this way because the two most desirable traits were fatness and fertility, which were representative of the beauty ideals. Obesity was something that was impractical in a Paleolithic lifestyle. All people lived a life of survival, if a person was to be overweight they would not be able to do manual labor for example to hunt or gather, excess body weight makes every task require more effort. If you were in any danger, and needed to run, you would have been killed. You would also be prone to sickness and other health issues. Fatness was considered a beauty ideal because it was rare, it was a sign of luxury. During ancient and pre historic times life was much simpler. People did what they needed to do to survive. This was reflected in their artworks, particularly in the female form. What these sculptures physically look like, Cycladic figures and the Venus of Willendorf, directly relate to a woman’s role in society. Both pieces focus on the importance of reproduction, because without women there would be no future. They also both express similar ideas on beauty; that fatness is beautiful because it is rare and also a sign of wealth because of all of the manual labor these people had to do. These pieces were also both viewed as sacred, so these were the examples of ideal beauty.
Mannerism is an artistic style that predominated in Italy from the High Renaissance in the 1520s to the beginnings of Baroque style around the 1590s.The key characteristics of mannerism were clashing colors, elongated limbs, mythology, and extreme emotion. Along with having elongated limbs, the figures in mannerist paintings usually have small faces and stylized features. The figures poses are usually ones in strain, contortion, or discomfort. Figures in mannerist paintings and sculptures are usually described as a “decorative arrangement”, which proves there main purpose to only be looked at and puts a lot of emphasis on physical appearance. This makes sense with mannerist painters and sculptors attention to style and technique. The painting Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time (shown on the left) is a great example of a mannerist painting. This oil on wood painting was made by Agnolo Bronzino circa 1545. This painting deals with themes of lust, deceit and jealously. Within this painting there are many figures whose identities have been up for scholarly debate. It is commonly agreed upon that the two central figures are Cupid and his mother Venus. Cupid’s torso and legs and Venus’ limbs are extremely elongated.
This painting also shares similar themes with the Cycladic figures and the Venus of Willendorf. Venus is the Roman Goddess whose functions encompass love, fertility, beauty, sex, and prosperity. This are the same characteristics the other pieces had. They even share the same name. In the Renaissance women were still subject to their husbands and denied any rights or social freedoms. Although slimmer than the sculptures, the development of technologies allowed for more sophisticated paintings in comparison to the simplified sculptures. The figures in this painting do not look starved but look well feed as if they received special treatment; a sign of wealth. The painting also includes an iconic element very similar to the sculptures. The painting depicts the God and Goddesses, which were role models for everyday people. The beauty ideals that affect the shape of the female form are still similar but are more aligned to looking, acting, being like a Greek or Roman Gods and Goddesses. They are more athletic and heroic looking but conceptually hold similar meanings.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was a Dutch painter and etcher during the 1600’s. In Rembrandt’s early life as an artist his work was primarily paintings but then he later moved on to printmaking. Rembrant did not only move between mediums but his style of painting ranged between very fine technique to larger brush strokes and leaving parts of the canvas blank or letting it fade into vast darkness. His body of work includes a range of subjects including portraiture, landscape, and narrative painting. Faith is one of the most prominent themes in Rembrandt’s paintings. Rembrandt’s mother was Roman Catholic and his father belonged to a Dutch Reformed Church but there is no evidence that Rembrandt himself belonged to any church. As a boy, Rembrandt attended Latin school and was thoroughly versed in biblical stories. Bathsheba at her Bath is an oil painting by Rembrandt from 1654. This painting depicts the story of Kind David and Bathsheba from the Old Testament. The story is that King David sees Bathsheba bathing and becomes entranced. King David then seduces and impregnates her. In order to conceal his sin, the King has to marry Bathsheba, so her orders her husband into battle and orders the generals to abandon him, leaving her husband to certain death. This scene was illustrated many times by earlier artists but Rembrandt’s depiction focuses on the erotic energy that is achieved through the tight focus on the figure. This painting does differ from the biblical account, David saw Bathsheba bathing from his palace roof but in the painting David is not even included. Rembrandt makes the piece more intimate by letting the viewer take the place of David as a voyeur. Unlike the other works that preceded Rembrandt, Bathsheba is dominating the composition and is also the lightest part of the painting. This coloring may be used to make her look more iconic or maybe even more innocent. That Rembrandt is implying that she should not be accountable for what happened and David initiated the whole situation. The background is dark and so is the maidservant washing her feet. Despite the paintings classical references the characterization of Bathsheba was unusual. Bathsheba’s figure had an obviously large stomach, hands and feet and are not from an idealized form but from observation. Historians hypothesize that Rembrandt pieced together different parts from different models or that Rembrandt’s partner, Hendrickje Stoffels, head was placed on a different models body, which is consistent with Rembrandt’s work. The figure had other nuances, including an impossibly twisted left arm, the length of the right arm, the twist of the torso and the elongated distance between the breasts and the groin. According to art historian Kenneth Clark, "this Christian acceptance of the unfortunate body has permitted the Christian privilege of a soul". This quotation shows the shift of view of the female form. The larger than life ladies that were depicted before this were considered ideal, icons, ones to be copied. They were symbols of wealth, fertility, close to perfection or even to be praised. Here we see it has a reflection of personality, not of only the truth of the particular woman, in this case Bathsheba, but her body being used as a symbol or object to show the characteristics of a whole group of people, Christians. That Christian people were so good hearted that they would embrace the less fortunate of people, physically and mentally.
Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter during the early 20th century. Austria was subsumed into Hitler’s Riech in 1938 and was on the losing side for both world wars. There was a tendency to write history from the perspective of winning nations, further removing Austria. During this time period art had became more truthful and describing the harsh realities rather than portraying this idealistic goals for people to aspire too. Schiele is commonly associated with the expressionist movement originated in Germany in the early 20th century. Expressionist ideals were to present the viewer with a subjective perspective and to abstract or distort what is in reality to show emotion. Women during this time period were still expected to be homemakers as well as work jobs to bring in money during the depression. When Germany annexed Austria, Hitler also gave women equal rights, although it was still frowned upon is a man couldn’t support his family.
Egon Schiele’s painting Seated Woman with Bent Knee was completed in 1917 out of crayon, gouache and watercolor. The woman in this painting is Edith Harms. Edith and Adéle Harms were sisters who lived with their parents across the street from Schiele’s studio in Hietzing. Egon Schiele’s lifestyle caused much controversy. He employed many teenage girls from the small town as models, including Wally. Not much is known about Wally but she met Schiele through Gustav Klimt who was Schiele’s mentor and another painter. Wally became the subject of many if Schiele’s paintings as well as a mistress. The two were constantly moving to escape the hostile behavior of the people who knew what was going on between them. Eventually Egon Schiele married Edith Harm for his own advantage and still wanted to have a relationship with Wally, but after he told Wally this he never saw her again. Like the title states the woman is seated casually with one leg up with her arms around it and her face pressing against her knee and the other leg open exposing the rest of her body. Having her facing outward engages the viewer into this intimate moment. Her facial expression seems serious or as if she is deep in though but also uncomfortable because she doesn’t want to lift her eyes all the way up and look Schiele in the eyes. Her gaze is seems direct and powerful what is being focused on is uncertain and not what is directly in front of her. Most of the colors in this painting are muted besides her orange hair, pink lips, green tank top and black leggings. Her arched eyebrows and pink pouting lips give her a more flirtatious and erotized look, which is common in Schiele’s works. Her pale shorts look pretty battered and none you her clothing seems to fit her properly. Following her legs down her shoes have been left unfinished. The proportions of her body aren’t totally accurate, her neck is elongated and her legs and hips seem larger. These features allow her to comfortably sit in this position. Her skin looks blotchy and has red and brown patches all over it, making her look a irritated and disheveled. Her vibrant orange hair is also unkempt.
From this piece, Seated Women with Bent Knee compared to the Steatopygous Female Figure, Venus of Willendorf, and Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time the female figure has drastically changed. In the Steatopygous Female Figure, Venus of Willendorf, and Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time, the female figure as been a reflection of culture and society at that time. It has been objected to society’s beauty standards and what they considered ideal. These pieces also had an emphasis on the female reproductive parts because that was seen as her role in life but this also gave her power. Without women there would be not future. These processes was often compared or aligned with sprirtually practices. In the more modern times, like in the piece Seated Women with Bent Knee the figure had been distorted to portray an emotion. The female figure was not idealized but shown in a more realistic way. The woman in this was Schiele’s wife, not a goddesss or idol to be copied. Art became more subjective and the figure has been shown a certain way to evoke a certain response from the viewer. The mortification of female form was caused by a change in the way she was viewed. In the earlier years the female form was associated with spirituality. She was an ideal woman and was there to be emulated or even praised. Her thick figure showed a status of wealth and the enlargement of certain features signified fertility. In the 1600’s we see that the female figure, although remaining in a similar form, her body was used to define her personality but also characteristics or a perspective of a time period or group of people or even speak to a larger concept. During the 1900’s female figures were derived from reality, showing something more truthful. They also gave insight to the artist and the time period. The evolution of the female form has been greatly influenced by the change of artists trying to depict the ideal to trying to find the truth.
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Table of Images:
Image 1: Steatopygous Female Figure, ca. 4500–4000 B.C., Final Neolithic Cycladic, Marble, H. 8 5/16 in. (21.5 cm)
Image 2: The Venus of Willendorf, 24000BC and 22000BC, Oolitic Limestone and Red Ochre
Image 3: Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time, Agnolo Bronzino, 1545, Oil Paint
Image 4: Bathsheba at her Bath, Rembrandt, 1654, Oil on Canvas, 142cmX14cm
Image 5: Seated Woman with Bent Knee, Egon Schiele, 1917, crayon, gouache and watercolor