The Male Gaze
The theory of the male gaze is something that art historians have begun to use to explain patterns that have emerged in art over time. One common question that presents itself when we look at older art is why there are so many nudes used within paintings. This occurrence can be attributed mainly, to this theory of the male gaze.
What’s the story
The theory of the male gaze is the idea that in the arts and literature the world, people, and circumstances are depicted through the understanding and preferences of a heterosexual male. This phenomenon does not just appear in fine art and is prevalent in any type of entertainment media. However, the relevance of the male gaze in art history became apparent in the 1970s, along with the emergence of other trends that were researched and written about by feminist art historians. For art history specifically, the idea of the male gaze is referencing the desire of men to create idealized images of women for their enjoyment. Also, this does not mean a strictly sexual enjoyment, the male gaze is the idea that male artists, and female artists as well, painted for a male audience, so they wanted to show scenes and situations that would capture the attention of the audience. This theory almost proves itself when we realize that once art became something that was bought and sold, it had to be marketable to those who would have the money to buy art. This happened as early as the Renaissance, when the only people who had money were men, so it would make sense that artists would paint works that would appeal to their targeted market. So, the male gaze grew and encompassed many aspects of art.
Examples of the male gaze emerge often throughout art history. From the Renaissance to Contemporary art we can track the male gaze and how it has changed through time. One of the first works that we can point to as an example of the male gaze is Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus [figure 1]. This painting depicts the nude female figure of Aphrodite. Although the appearance of the nude in this artwork can be explained away as the perfection of the goddess of love, who does not need to worry about things like modesty or imperfections, according to the artists and authorities of the fifteenth century, this work is still an example of the male gaze. Botticelli, among other artists of the Renaissance, was painting nudes in order to better understand how to draw and paint the human body. That does track as a valid way of learning how to depict the human body, but the repetitive depiction of female bodies is almost always explained away as a depiction of a goddess or a personification of an ideal. This is to say that the works of the Renaissance are not directly obvious examples of the male gaze, but they are the foundation of the acceptance of depicting nude bodies in art.
[figure 1] Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus, 1484-86, tempera on canvas, 172.5 x 278.9cm, Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
One of the most common examples of the male gaze in art is Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres' Grande Odalisque [figure 2]. This painting depicts a nude woman, and she takes up the entirety of the picture plane. Unlike any of the other examples presented here, this work is solely focused on this woman. It comes off almost like a study of women, from an outside perspective. This may be one of the best ways to explain the idea of the male gaze. Not only does this seem like a study of women, but it is a very intimate scene, that we, as viewers, seem to be intruding upon. The woman depicted also has slightly elongated proportions, which helps reinforce the idea that this painting is an idealized version of life. Realistically, the situation that this painting casually presents would not be a situation that any viewer could walk in on. This moment is meant to be intimate but is instead being shared with every viewer who takes it in. In this way, we can see how the male gaze captures a situation and edits it to be an idealized situation for a male audience.
[figure 2] Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Grande Odalisque, oil on canvas, 1814, 88.9 x 162.6cm, Louvre, Paris
Moving through time, another example of a more nuanced version of the male gaze is Édouard Manet's Dejeuner sur l'Herbe [figure 3]. This impressionist painting by Manet is showing a picnic, but there is something off about some of the sitters. The men are fully clothed but the women are completely nude. This too almost seems like the personification of the male gaze. The men in this painting, and who were intended viewers of this painting, may not see anything remarkable about this painting at all, especially at the time it was painted. Meanwhile, this painting may have made any woman looking at it very uncomfortable imagining herself in that situation. That is another way that we can see the male gaze in art. The theory of the male gaze is proven when there are paintings that depict scenes or situations in which women appear to be a prop or another piece of scenery because their presence is not being considered.
[figure 3] Édouard Manet, Déjeuner sur l'herbe, 1863, oil on canvas, 208x 264.5cm, Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
The last example that I will bring to your attention is slightly different from the others because, for once, it does not feature a nude woman. This work is Crying Girl by Roy Lichtenstein [figure 4]. This Pop Art print shows just the head of a woman who is crying. In the procession of works that I have given as examples so far, this one may stand out as confusing or inaccurate, but it illustrates a different aspect of the male gaze that arose in the twentieth century. This woman is not depicted nude, but her emotions are emphasized, creating the idea that every woman is emotional. We can understand that this may not actually be the case but from the perspective of the male gaze that seems to be the message that is being relayed. Now the interesting thing about this work is that it was created in 1964, which means that Roy Lichtenstein may actually have created this work to acknowledge the male gaze in some sense. As art history moved into Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism, artists began to take more responsibility when it came to the message they were implying in their art. So, although this may capture that aspect of the male gaze, it may be completely on purpose, to help the viewer identify it for themselves.
[figure 4] Roy Lichtenstein, Crying Girl, 1964, porcelain enamel on steel, 116.8 x 116.8 cm, Milwaukee Art Museum
One more thing that I would like to add (almost as a disclaimer) is that pointing out these examples is just a way to point out the theory of the male gaze. These works of art that I have talked about today are still important works of art in the span of art history. Although they may prove this theory, for the most part, we know that the implication of the male gaze was a subconscious result of culture and society. If you are upset about the appearance of this theory, do not take out your frustration on these works of art of the artists that painted them, instead focus on promoting and supporting art and artists who do not continue to fall into this theory in our modern times.
Why is it important to art history?
It’s important to understand the concept of the male gaze because of its role in a better understanding of art history. Understanding the culture and mindset of the artist helps us explain the why for every work of art. Therefore knowing that most artists that we study are male creates a necessity for understanding the male gaze as most famous artworks were painted with the purpose of serving the male gaze. However, once we know this, we can better adjust our own looking experiences and view art from an unbiased point of view.
How can you form your own perspective?
A close friend of mine, who is a guy, has asked me quite a few times why he’s drawn to art that features nude women. This is a great question that is hopefully answered in what I’ve written about here. Understanding the male gaze actually helps to explain many of our preferences when it comes to art. So, ask yourself, has the theory of the male gaze affected which works of art you gravitate towards? Do you look at the world differently once you can recognize the male gaze? Can you form your own, unique gaze on the world?
