The document discusses different ways that artists depict the human body in portraits and self-portraits. It provides examples of idealized bodies from ancient Greek sculpture, portraits that show individuals within their social context like Van Gogh's Portrait of Dr. Gachet, and self-portraits like those made by Rembrandt that depicted the artist. The document also examines how artists have used the body as a subject and medium, addressing ideas about humanity through the portrayal of both idealized and flawed bodies.

1. MIND
AND
BODY
Session 11
Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic
Approach

2. Your Turn!
Create a Self-Portrait! 

3. DEPICTING THE BODY
Portraits
 In art, a successful portrait goes beyond simply creating a likeness.

4. DEPICTING THE BODY
Portraits
 Portraits can show individuals in ways that mirror their
sociopolitical milieu (social and political environment).

5. DEPICTING THE BODY
Portraits
 VINCENT VAN GOGH. Portrait
of Dr. Gachet, 1890.
 Inspired by Eugene Delacroix’
Tasso in the Madhouse, 1839.

6. DEPICTING THE BODY
Portraits
 VINCENT VAN GOGH. Portrait
of Dr. Gachet, 1890.
 “I think that we must not count
on Dr. Gachet at all. First of all,
he is sicker than I am, I think, or
shall we say just as much, so
that’s that. Now when one blind
man leads another blind man,
don’t they both fall into the
ditch?” – Vincent Van Gogh

7. DEPICTING THE BODY
Portraits
 VINCENT VAN GOGH. Portrait
of Dr. Gachet, 1890.
 “Ah! Portraiture, portraiture with
the thought, the soul of the
model in it, that is what I think
must come.” – Vincent Van Gogh

8. DEPICTING THE BODY
Portraits
 VINCENT VAN GOGH. Portrait
of Dr. Gachet, 1890.
 In 1990, the painting was sold for
$82.5 million in New York (that’s
$146.5 million today!).
 This is still the highest price paid
for art at a public auction.
 That’s equal to:
3,055,259,530,219VNĐ

9. DEPICTING THE BODY
Self-Portrait
 Depicting oneself.

10. DEPICTING THE BODY
Self-Portrait
 Rembrandt Van Rijn made at
least 62 self-portraits.

11. DEPICTING THE BODY
The Physical Body
 Artists use the body to
address ideas about the
essence
(core/fundamentals/basics)
of humanity as well as
cultural ideals.

12. DEPICTING THE BODY
The Idealized Body
 POLYKLEITOS. Doryphoros
(Spear-bearer), c. 450-550 BCE.
 The ancient Greeks believed
that humans were capable of
near perfection.

13. DEPICTING THE BODY
The Idealized Body
 POLYKLEITOS. Doryphoros
(Spear-bearer), c. 450-550 BCE.
 The figure is idealized
(perfect) in several ways:
 In the balanced pose

14. DEPICTING THE BODY
The Idealized Body
 POLYKLEITOS. Doryphoros
(Spear-bearer), c. 450-550 BCE.
 The figure is idealized
(perfect) in several ways:
 In the balance pose
 In the internal proportions

15. DEPICTING THE BODY
The Idealized Body
 POLYKLEITOS. Doryphoros
(Spear-bearer), c. 450-550 BCE.
 The figure is idealized
(perfect) in several ways:
 In the balance pose
 In the internal proportions
 In the restrained (controlled)
emotions

16. DEPICTING THE BODY
The Idealized Body
 POLYKLEITOS. Doryphoros
(Spear-bearer), c. 450-550 BCE.
 The figure is idealized
(perfect) in several ways:
 In the balance pose
 In the internal proportions
 In the restrained (controlled)
emotions; and
 In the roles depicted–youth,
athlete, and warrior.

17. DEPICTING THE BODY
The Flawed Body
 AGESANDER,
ATHENODORUS, and
POLYDORUS. Laocoön and
His Sons, late 2nd-early 1st
century BCE.
 Greek art turned to depicting
humans engaged in violent
action, vulnerable to age,
injured, diseased, and
subject to emotions (pain,
terror, or despair).

18. THE BODY
IN ART AND AS ART
The Body as Art Material
 YOKO ONO. Cut Piece, 1964.
 http://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=Zfe2qhI5Ix4
 “When people cross
boundaries, it makes you
question those boundaries.”
 What are some racial,
gender, family, and class
boundaries in your culture?

19. Discuss in your teams…
 What are some
boundaries in your
culture?
 Racial Boundaries?
 Gender Boundaries?
 Clan / Family Boundaries?
 Class Boundaries?

20. THE BODY
IN ART AND AS ART
The Body as an Art Tool
 CHUCK CLOSE. Fanny, 1985.

21. THE BODY
IN ART AND AS ART
The Body as an Art Tool
 CHUCK CLOSE. Fanny, 1985.
 “I like using the body as a tool
for painting…by using my
hand, I can feel just how much
ink is on my finger and then I
can feel very clearly how
much I’m depositing (putting)
on the painting.” – Chuck
Close
 http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=mm6aHKdX0Pc

22. JACKSON POLLOCK. Lucifer,
USA, 1947. Oil on canvas.

23. JACKSON POLLOCK. Lucifer,
USA, 1947. Oil on canvas.

24. RACE, GENDER,
CLAN, &
CLASS
Session 11
Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic
Approach

25. GUERRILLA GIRLS. Do women have to
be naked to get into the Met. Museum?,
USA, 1986. Street poster.

26. JEAN-AUGUSTE DOMINIQUE
INGRES. Grande Odalisque, 1814.
Who are these “Guerrilla Girls”?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33DXdBHaokw

27. “There is a system in place, and the system has its values, and
the system’s values may not be the best values of our society.
The system itself might be discriminatory, might be exclusive,
might be unfair.”
“Educational institutions are the perfect place to [exhibit our
work] because critical thinking is so important for any higher
education.”

28. PETER PAUL
RUBENS.
Abduction of
the daughters
of Leucippus,
1617. Oil on
Canvas.
Gender Reflected in Art
 Skin Tone
 Helplessness
 Diamond Shape

29. JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID. Oath of the
Horatti, France, 1784. Oil on canvas.
Gender Reflected in
Art and Architecture
 Men = Heroes
 Women = Helpless
 Clothing:
 Men = angles
 Women = soft
curves
 Arches:
 Symmetry,
orderliness
 Concrete
social reality

30. PICK A CARD! ANY CARD!

31. CLASS
Art and class structure can be
linked in several ways:
 Members of different classes
may be depicted with
distinctive body styles and
poses
 Artwork can show the
environment and activities
that mark members of a
certain class
 A work of art can be a status
item (the owner has status)

32. DIEGO VELAZQUEZ. Las Menias,
Spain, 1656. Oil on canvas.
Class Activities and
Lifestyles
The Ruling Class
Center figure: daughter of
king
Location
Light
Large Painting (10.5 x 9 ft)

33. JAN VERMEER VAN DELFT.
The Kitchen Maid, Netherlands, 1660.
Oil on canvas.
Class Activities and
Lifestyles
The Working & Middle Class
The middle class is elevated
in dignity.
The boring, daily task of
pouring milk seems almost
sacred (holy).
Vermeer often painted
ordinary scenes from
everyday life.

34. DOROTHEA LANGE.
Migrant Mother, Nipomo Valley, USA,
1936. Gelatin silver print.
Class Activities and Lifestyles
The Poor
Art provides us a record of the
poor, their way of life and their
struggles.
This mother was 32 years old
with 7 children during the Great
Depression.

35. Update your self-portrait
according to your class.