The Representations of Nude Females

Abstract

In my thesis I want to prove that, contrary to what is presented and perpetuated in the media today, the female body has historically been given a different form in artistic representations, that is, artistic works representing either the ideal female form or the “ordinary woman” have traditionally depicted bigger sized women, rather than extremely slim ones who are ‘in fashion’ today. As a result, these works of art seem to be closer to ‘reality’ than the seemingly ‘documentarist’ photos, films or videos which feature contemporary female models or some celebrities, for example. In close connection with my statement I would also like to find out the answers to the following questions: What does the expression ‘ideal beauty’ mean? Has it changed during the history of arts?