Addressing Female Inferiority Through Art

Addressing Female Inferiority through Art

Inferiority; Webster Dictionary defines it as lower in rank or standing. For centuries, artists have been searching for ways to fight back against inferiorities of the world. Whether it is inferiority in race, ethnicity, religion, age, or gender; art has been an important and essential way of expressing feelings of injustice. Ingres’s Grande Odalisque and Ono’s “Cut Piece” are just two of the several artworks that attempt to break down gender issues; both use different styles and approaches to send a very similar message to the audience.

Grande Odalisque sends an important message about female sexuality and inferiority to the viewer. When it was created in 1814 by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, it was classified as “Romanticism”. Initially, this artwork was hit with immense criticism. This isn’t surprising given the content of the painting. Viewers are immediately drawn to the naked female in the center of the portrait. She is bright, while her surroundings are dark, letting the viewer know that the painting is about her. Further examination reveals the soft, curvy lines that Ingres uses. Perhaps, these lines imply her beauty and sensuality. Similarly, her eyes lure the viewer in. It is clear that she is looking back at the viewer. However, her face shows little emotion; she appears to be almost detached from the viewer.

When I first saw this painting, I noticed how long her back was. I was interested to see if I could find any information about it. When Grande Odalisque debuted, many scientists criticized the fact that the female appeared to have “two or three” vertebrae too many. However, I read an article titled, “Extra vertebrae in Ingres’ La Grande Odalisque” from the Journal of Medicine and Art. In this particular article, they investigated this in great detail. What they discovered was that this female does, in fact, seem to have nearly five vertebrae too many. They believe that giving her a longer back was...