Romantic Era

 In the Romance Era

Evolution of Nudes
These paintings will be explaining the different view points of nudes that were oil painted by two different men. This is the way that these two men view the female body. Notice how much detail is added or missing, where it looks realistic or added, and how it was created to share how beautiful the women body is. Something that still happens in today's society but expressed differently.

 La maja desnuda (Naked Maja)

This is an oil painting done by Francisco Goya from 1797-1800. This painting is now located in Madrid and considered a romance piece. She looks like the average girl who has no lethal face card but has a coke bottle figure, right? That is actually correct, this artist painted the body exactly as he saw it. Although she might not be the average 'goddess of love and beauty' (Dr. Bryan Zygmont), but she was indeed a loyal follower to her ruler.


This is an oil painting done by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. This painting is now located in Paris and also considered a romance piece. Is she a big back when this painting was done? No. The painter added a couple back bone pieces to her spine. Notice how there is a lot more detail in this painting versus the other. There's a hookah, jewels on the woman and her leg is weird. Anyways, this was painted for the enjoyment of the viewer rather than the flaws that made her, her.

Emotional Romance

This is an oil painting done by Henry Fuseli in 1781. This is now located in the Detroit Institute of Arts. See the ogre and Peter's horse? This is apart of her nightmare but only a visual of what she could be imagining in her dreams. Apart of her dreams are the demons that linger and toy with the female in her sleep whether it is making them feel disconnected from their body or sexually intimate with the sleeper. 







This too like the rest is an oil painting done by Théodore Géricault in 1818-19. This is now located in Paris as a display. Does this not remind you of something? I see the soldiers lifting the flag but this is far from that painted story. There was 150 people on this ship but only 15 remained rescued and safe. This is an emotional thing to image going through but acknowledge and admire what had happened.






So, how do they all relate?

Humans all become a subject to the author, to the artist, and to everyone who views the piece. However, they all have important details to their bodies. They have all been studies to have their unique shapes and how they are affected within the image. These images all portray being an item that is symbolic but also anatomy related because they are all humans. 

Citation

Zygmont, Bryan. “Painting Colonial Culture: Ingres’s La Grande Odalisque.” Smarthistory, 9 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/painting-colonial-culture-ingress-la-grande-odalisque/. 

Paulson, Noelle. “Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare.” Smarthistory, 9 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/henry-fuseli-the-nightmare/. 

Dr. Claire Black McCoy, "Théodore Géricault, Raft of the Medusa," in Smarthistory, May 27, 2021, accessed March 23, 2025, https://smarthistory.org/theodore-gericault-raft-of-the-medusa/.

Dr. Noelle Paulson, "Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare," in Smarthistory, August 9, 2015, accessed March 23, 2025, https://smarthistory.org/henry-fuseli-the-nightmare/.

Alberro, Alexander. “What Is Radical?” MIT Press Direct, Art Margins, 1 Oct. 2021, direct.mit.edu/artm/article/10/3/8/109489/What-is-Radical. 

Museum, Science. “Anatomy: Art and Science.” Science Museum, 10 July 2019, https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/medicine/anatomy-art-and-science. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025. 

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Comments

  1. juanwaraMarch 27, 2025 at 1:20 PM

    I appreciate your analysis of the paintings you chose. 'The Nightmare' is a truly haunting painting to me. If we look at it through the lens of analyzing nudes, I believe while other works focus on the beauty of the female body (idealized or not), 'The Nightmare' gives me more of a sense of vulnerability. Though not fully nude, there's still a feeling of helplessness and lack of control that only feels amplified by the fact that the woman lies in only a nightgown in her bed.

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  2. Savannah FlemingApril 14, 2025 at 2:00 PM

    Personally, I like romanticism more because it shows strong emotions and captures the ups and downs of human life. The bright colors and lively scenes in romantic art help viewers connect more deeply. I did see how in Gericault's "Raft of the Medusa" creates a strong sense of struggle and survival. The focus on the human body and its meaning highlights not just how people look but how they feel. It's clear the artists intended to make the viewers think, as each piece encourages us to reflect. Thank you for sharing such great ideas I really enjoyed your post!

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