Feminist Critiques

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Paul Cezanne's Crude Depiction of Women

Thursday, October 18, 2012 @ 2:05 AM

2 Comments

Sources:

Gender Analysis and the Work of Meyer Schapiro

Patricia Mathews

Oxford Art Journal , Vol. 17, No. 1, Meyer Schapiro (1994), pp. 81-91

Published by: Oxford University Press

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1360479

What Can We Say about Cézanne These Days?

Cézanne in America. Dealers, Collectors, Artists and Critics 1891-1921 by John Rewald; Paul Cézanne, Two Sketchbooks by Theodore Reff; Innis Howe Shoemaker; Cézanne's Early Imagery by Mary Tompkins Lewis; Interpreting Cézanne by Sidney Geist

Review by: Griselda Pollock

Oxford Art Journal , Vol. 13, No. 1 (1990), pp. 95-101

Published by: Oxford University Press

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1360392

In the article, Gender analysis and the work of Meyer Schapiro, written by Patricia Mathews, Paul Cezanne and his paintings incorporating the nude feminine form are cast in a negative light and described as being rude and vulgar. The article focuses on the famous art historian Meyer Schapiro and his opinion and critique of Cezanne’s work. Schapiro accuses Cezanne of having a sexually driven imagination and obsession that led to “paintings of a crude sensuality, rape, orgy and murder” (Oxford Journal, 83). It is claimed that Cezanne’s unorthodox depictions of women can be credited to an intense repressed sexual desire. He used art to act out this desire, and as a result works of great contrast were created, some being violent while others are described as calm and composed. ‘Violent’ seems to be a popular term to describe the more intense pieces created by Cezanne, as Griselda Pollock chose to use the same term in her article What Can We Say About Cezanne These Days? She even goes on to say that they are “thematically disturbing” (Oxford Journal, 95). Schapiro’s main point is that Cezanne’s paintings exploit women’s bodies. He feels Cezanne’s paintings make women objects to be put on display as they fail to instill awe or admiration in the viewer.

When considering Cezanne’s painting, Three Bathers (1882) it seems that this judgment holds true since none of the figures are aware that someone is watching them. It feels almost violating to be looking at these women when they do not know they are being watched and in such a undisturbed place. The women in this painting are being observed in a natural state, making them something to look at rather than interact with on an equal level. Schapiro doesn’t like the idea of fully clothed men, with no personal connection to the women portrayed looking at the paintings in galleries and contemplating their harsh form and naked bodies. Nudity in our culture has always been tied to controversy and to this day is still considered a private and personal matter. We as humans are all our similar in our makeup, women resembling all other women and males resembling other males and yet we shy away from nudity if it is attached to the unfamiliar.

By: Renny Niebuhr