The Segmented Woman; an Examination of Female Anatomy as Artistic Objects Through the Ages

Abstract

Throughout art history, the bodies of women have been used to signify sexual gratification, beauty, as well as many other themes and ideas. Although the use of female nudity is prevalent, one common omitted detail of these images is a lack of genitalia. While these depictions of the female body utilize women's likenesses for thematic or aesthetic purposes, the consistent undermining or ignorance of sights of sexual significance undermines the importance of a woman's agency for her own sake. This paper seeks to examine the prevalence, motivations, and impact of omitting these images from depictions of women. Additionally, this text seeks to examine a select few artists and art pieces which do focus on these aspects of women's anatomy and what they say about the way women are viewed in a microcosm of the world at large.