Nudity has been a part of art since prehistoric times, when early humans made primitive sculptures and cave paintings of unclothed human figures. In ancient civilizations like Egypt, Greece, and Rome, nudity was common in art and seen as natural and beautiful. The Greeks in particular celebrated the naked human form in sculptures like the Venus de Milo. However, during the Middle Ages nudity became more taboo, especially with the rise of Christianity. Most medieval art depicted clothed religious figures.
The Renaissance brought renewed interest in the naked body with Unique Art, inspired by the rediscovery of classical Greek and Roman art. Famous Renaissance artists like Michelangelo and Titian created nude masterpieces. Michelangelo's David depicts the biblical hero in the nude. Titian's Venus of Urbino shows a reclining nude woman. As the Baroque period began in the 17th century, artists continued to use nudity for dramatic effect, seen in Peter Paul Rubens' fleshy nudes.
In the 19th century, academic art schools required students to master figure drawing using nude models. Eroticized female nudes became common in European academic painting and early photography. Prominent nudes of this era include Manet's Olympia and Ingres' Grande Odalisque. However, nude models were controversial, considered sexually immoral by many.
Early modern artists broke away from traditional nude conventions. Impressionists like Renoir embraced quick brushstrokes and sensual, softly rounded female forms. Post-Impressionist Paul Cézanne shifted to more abstracted, geometric nude studies. Fauvists used vivid, arbitrary colors in their nude works. Cubists like Picasso fragmented nude bodies in their paintings.
In the 20th century, taboos about artistic nudity lessened. Feminist artists contested idealized nude females by portraying nudes as real people with flaws and diversity. Contemporary artists today continue to engage with and challenge the nude portrait within new contexts and meanings. From prehistory to now, the naked human figure remains one of art's most enduring inspirations.
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