Naked body from the Renaissance to the present
Prompt
The museum in which you work as an intern has opened a new exhibition on the naked body from the Renaissance to the present, focusing on the Early Modern and Modern periods of the Euro-American tradition with Mediterranean roots. The goal of the exhibition is to question stereotypical representations of identity that have dominated this visual production through depictions of the naked body, by pairing works that can be considered traditional, conventional, mainstream, or dominant with works that are non-traditional, unconventional, alternative,or subversive. The director of community outreach has asked you to write an exhibition review for a local newspaper. Your goal is to help the general public understand the main objective of the exhibition. You have to discuss three pairs of images of your choice (for a total of six highlights) and explain how in each pair one image upholds and the other questions stereotypical identity constructs.
The background of your assignment
You are a museum intern working for the department of community outreach. Your museum is undertaking a major exhibition on the naked body in the Early Modern and Modern periods of the Euro-American tradition (15th c. to the present). The main objective of the exhibition is to raise awareness about the ways in which the representation of the naked body in this tradition is implicated in the construction of unequal power relations and stereotypical and oppressive identities of self and other (for example in terms of gender, sexuality, class, race, ethnicity, culture, etc.). For this reason, exhibited works are organized
around a number of sections (for example, on specific subjects or specific identity markers) and in each section works are grouped in pairs of opposite depictions:traditional versus non-traditional, conventional versus unconventional,mainstream versus alternative, dominant versus subversive. This pairing is meant to highlight not only that the traditional and mainstream representations are limiting, oppressive, and exclusive of diversity broadly understood but also that visualizing alternatives is essential, hopefully, and done by many artists. In other words, your exhibition exposes the distorting effects of traditional identity politics and gives visibility to
cultural producers and visual expressions that advocate for and contribute to change. In order to publicize the exhibition, support its potential to make a significant cultural intervention, and educate the public through outreach in the local community, the director of community outreach has given you the responsibility to write a review essay for a local news paper.
Your goal in this essay is two-fold:
•explain why the overall theme and specific perspective of the exhibition are significant and relevant to the local community (considering the city and country in which your museum resides).
•explain how your highlight pieces shed light on the exhibition’s message regarding representations of the naked body in the Euro-American tradition: how do representations of the naked body participate in identity politics, either supporting or questioning stereotypical identity constructs, and therefore erasing or acknowledging the diversity and complexity of human identities and experiences?
Requirements for the selection of your six highlights
•must come from the third part of our course (15th century onwards)
•must be different from the ones you explored in your second essay
•must provide temporal breadth, so choose at least one from each of the following time periods: 15th-17thc. / 19th c. / 20th-21st c.
•must include naked bodies and be works created within the Euro-American tradition
•must be grouped in pairs of contrasting highlights (traditional versus non-traditional in each pair)
•must consider diverse identity markers, including at least one example of gender and one of race Please note that an engagement with diverse identity markers (e.g. race and gender) can coexist in the same pair of highlights. You still have to discuss 3 pairs for a total of 6 highlights.
The comparisons you make between each two highlights you pair must be meaningful and viable: the two works must have specific commonalities and differences that allow you to compare and contrast them in terms of traditional versus non-traditional, conventional versus unconventional, mainstream versus alternative, dominant versus subversive, etc. Choose the most appropriate of these terms and explain why they are applicable to your highlights. To develop convincing comparisons, pair highlights that are:
•relatable in terms of theme and time period(for example, a conventional and an unconventional depiction of Judith or Susanna and the Elders from the Renaissance).
•relatable in terms of theme but of different time period (for example, a Renaissance painting and its reinterpretation by a contemporary artist). In this case, the most straightforward relationship would be that the later work “quotes” the earlier one in terms of composition, theme, and possibly even title, but also introduces a critique of the identity constructs promoted by the earlier piece.
Outline of the essay is attached
Outline of the essay
Title Consider developing a clear and catchy title that captures the essence of the exhibition. You may actually want to think of your title after you write the essay and know what your focus and approach to the material are.
Introduction Your introduction should have a clear thesis statement about: •theme and objectives of the exhibition (also mention the time period and cultural tradition examined) •relevance to the public you are addressing (also mention your museum’s location and intended audience) Above (p. 1), I have specified a general framework about the objectives of your exhibition. In your introduction you need to develop this general idea into a thesis statement that spells out, in your own words, the specific theme and goal of the exhibition and how it relates to the audience you address –that is, the local community in the city and country in which your museum resides.
Main body of your text: Divide the main body of your text into three sections, each one discussing a pair of highlights.
Section subtitles: Introduce each section with a subtitle that identifies both the theme and the highlights that represent it (for example: The rare heroine and the ubiquitous hero: Judith and Holofernes, Donatello, mid 1450’s (1457-64?), bronze, 93 in. Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy; Perseus and Medusa, Benvenuto Cellini, 1554, bronze, 128 in., Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence, Italy.) •Fully identify your highlight pieces in your section subtitles. Whether your highlights are class material or works from other sources, you have to identify them fully as in the above example, which includes material, dimensions and current location. If you cannot find all the relevant info in the class material or through an online search, say so in the footnotes. Remember that the dimensions are an important aspect of a work’s impact and function, so consider them in your discussion (e.g. small painting: for private and intimate viewing; public sculpture: addressed to a broader audience, usually from a certain distance and in a specific architectural context).
Section content: •Start each section by explaining what is the relevant topic and how the two highlights illustrate it through their contrast. What makes one piece traditional and the other nontraditional? In what ways do they form a meaningful pair and are set “in dialogue” with each other?
•Present a detailed visual analysis of each highlight piece in relation to the other in the same pair. Your visual analysis should shed light on the overall theme of that pair and should also take into consideration the meanings of the naked bodies depicted. •Consider the original commissioner and context(s) of each piece (if known) and how they have impacted the various meanings this piece had for its intended audience. (For example, it would be important to make a reference to the main locations in which Donatello’s Judith and Holofernes has been displayed over time and its frequent relocation or replacement by other works, as opposed to the permanent display of Cellini’s Perseus and Medusa, which was created as a “reply” to Donatello’s sculpture in the Loggia dei Lanzi. You should also consider the function of the Loggia as a stage for state propaganda.) •Your focus should remain on your six highlight pieces, even if you choose to mention comparative material (other images) to strengthen your discussion.
Cite your sources, whether they are class readings or other material (you don’t need to cite lecture notes or PowerPoints).
Conclusion: Offer concluding remarks that: bind together the three topics you chose to explore through your highlight pieces and offer a culminating observation about the goal of your exhibition and its relevance to your audience. Your conclusion should not be a repetition of the thesis statement you made in the introduction, but it should enrich that statement with insights that result from the main body of your essay.IllustrationsInclude images of your six highlights, captioned appropriately, at the end of your paper (photos are not part of your page limit).
Bibliography: Include full references to all the sources you have used, at the end of your paper. Bibliography (and endnotes, if you use them) do not count towards the word limit
Reminders: •Remember that writing is a social act: you write in order to share your ideas. Always provide all the information your readers need to follow your arguments and understand your thesis. Readers cannot “read your mind”, they can only read what you put in writing, so lay out your trail of thought fully and with clarity in your paper. •Keep in mind the audience of your essay (besides the instructor and the grading TAs): the prompt asks you to write an exhibition review for a general public, to encourage them to visit the museum and gain an understanding of the exhibition. You have to use clear language and provide all necessary information to somebody without prior knowledge of the material. •Do not copy-paste text from the powerpoints. You are expected to discuss the material in your own words.
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