Gendered gaze

Definition

The gendered gaze refers to the way visual culture is influenced by gender, shaping how subjects are represented and how viewers perceive them. This concept highlights the power dynamics in art and visual media, where women are often objectified and depicted through a male lens, reinforcing traditional gender roles and societal expectations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The gendered gaze often positions women as objects of desire, reducing their complexity to mere visual enjoyment for a presumed male audience.
2. Artemisia Gentileschi challenged the gendered gaze in her paintings by portraying strong female figures that defied traditional passive representations.
3. Berthe Morisot’s works often highlight the inner lives of women, presenting them in domestic settings that subvert the male gaze by focusing on their experiences rather than their appearance.
4. Linda Nochlin’s essay criticized the art world for its systematic exclusion of women artists and challenged the assumptions behind who is considered a 'great' artist, calling for a reevaluation of the male-centric art historical canon.
5. The representation of women in Renaissance and Baroque art often reflects societal norms that reinforce male dominance, making it essential to analyze these works through a feminist lens to understand their implications.

Review Questions

• How does the concept of the gendered gaze help us understand Artemisia Gentileschi's approach to depicting female figures in her artworks?
  • Artemisia Gentileschi's work is notable for its defiance of the traditional gendered gaze that objectifies women. Instead of presenting female figures as passive subjects, Gentileschi depicted strong, assertive women who were often engaged in action or expressing agency. This approach not only challenges the male-dominated narrative prevalent in Baroque art but also empowers women by showcasing their strength and complexity.
• In what ways does Berthe Morisot's work exemplify a challenge to the male gaze prevalent in Impressionism?
  • Berthe Morisot's paintings often feature domestic scenes that focus on women's experiences, emotions, and roles within society. By depicting women in intimate moments rather than as mere objects of beauty or desire, Morisot creates a counter-narrative to the male gaze. Her portrayal of women's inner lives elevates their significance in art while simultaneously inviting viewers to engage with them on a deeper level beyond mere aesthetic appreciation.
• Critically analyze Linda Nochlin's arguments about the exclusion of women from art history and how they relate to the notion of the gendered gaze.
  • Linda Nochlin's essay 'Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?' interrogates the systemic barriers that have historically marginalized women in art. She argues that the male-centric narrative in art history perpetuates a gendered gaze that excludes women's contributions while idealizing male artists. By highlighting this bias, Nochlin calls for a critical reevaluation of how art history is constructed and urges recognition of women's artistic achievements. This connects directly to the broader theme of the gendered gaze, illustrating how representation and recognition are intertwined with power dynamics in visual culture.

Related terms

Male Gaze: A term coined by feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey, referring to the way visual arts and literature depict women from a masculine, heterosexual perspective, objectifying them and treating them as passive subjects.

Feminist Art: A movement in the 1970s that aimed to address the inequalities faced by women in the art world, both as artists and subjects, and to challenge traditional representations of women in art.

Intersectionality: A framework for understanding how various social identities, such as race, gender, and class, intersect to create unique experiences of oppression or privilege, particularly in feminist theory.