1

Chosen Primary Text:

Leighton, Lord F. 1896. Actaea, the Nymph of the Shore. Ottawa, ON: National Gallery of
Canada.

Frederic Leighton, oil painting Actaea, the Nymph of the Shore, 1868 (Leighton, Lord F.
1896.) is one of the Nereids that lived in the Aegean and was depicted on the beach observing
the dolphins. This erotic image was considered acceptable from the Victorians due to its
classical reference.

My Argument
Is it derogatory to use female nudes in art?

Bibliography
McDonald, Helen. n.d. Erotic Ambiguities: The Female Nude in Art. London: Taylor and
Francis.

Nead, Lynda. 1992. The Female Nude: Art, Obscenity and Sexuality. Hoboken: Taylor and
Francis.

Nead, Lynda. 1990. "The Female Nude: Pornography, Art, and Sexuality." Signs: Journal of
Women in Culture and Society no. 15 (2):323. doi: 10.1086/494586.
2


"The Nude in Art." 1897. The Decorator and Furnisher 29 (4): 114.

Poling, Linda and Annina Guyas. 2008. "Removing the Fig Leaf: Issues and Strategies for
Handling Nudity in the Art Room." Art Education 61 (1): 39-43, 35.
Doi:10.2307/27696262.






















3

McDonald, Helen. n.d. Erotic Ambiguities: The Female Nude in Art. London: Taylor and
Francis.

The main argument of this text is: Nakedness implies visually the need for sexual
encounters between a couple of people. The following 3 or 4 related ideas support this
argument

When painting nudes it could be perceived as though the artist is doing it for
sexual luring or as a way of blocking intimacy.
The use of the female nude in art has given rise to a variety of interpretations
about gender and identity.
In early European art history the depiction of the female body has been either
concealed in uncertainty or mistrusted, translating the meaning of the nude either
transparent or opaque.

Nead, Lynda. 1992. The Female Nude: Art, Obscenity and Sexuality. Hoboken: Taylor and
Francis.

The main argument of this text is: That the various theories of fine arts with
regards to the nudes, can have an effect on the outcome of the individuals
understanding. The following 3 or 4 related ideas support this argument

It's not just a case of look at the rule of fine arts or the historical views lent to
the female nude, but important to understand the concerns fine arts has in
regards to the female body.
Nudes are represented as the height of artistic expression which is unique and
comes from inspiration unlike other subjects matters.
The nude appeal is timeless considered a masterpiece of its genre and has a
faultless historic lineage, exposed to authoritative traditions within the
Western Culture.
4

Society generally assumed that when a nude is being painted or sketched that
the artist must be male and the nude female.


Nead, Lynda. 1990. "The Female Nude: Pornography, Art, and Sexuality." Signs: Journal of
Women in Culture and Society no. 15 (2):323. doi: 10.1086/494586.
The main argument of this text is: That as art provokes thoughts and is open to
interpretation, it can often lose the true meaning intended by the artist. The following
3 or 4 related ideas support this argument

Its important to support the rational thinking behind pornography to understand
the definition of pornography and how its understanding has altered over time.
The most commonplace opposition to pornography is art[,] if art is a reflection of
the highest social values, then pornography is a symptom of rotten society; if art
stands for lasting, universal values, then pornography represents disposability,
trash as mentioned by Lynda (1990).
Art and pornography are at either end of the scale and both are continuously being
redefined all the time, although each contain categories which include the erotic,
obscenity and sensual. These categories each inhabit their own cultural and sexual
space, but rely on each other to explain their meanings and therefore cannot be
understood in segregation.
Female nudes within art history are seen as being at the edge and border of high
culture
Visually discourse nude paintings are considered at the heights of Renaissance
idealism and humanism
The nude form is at great risk of misplacing its respectability due to its close
proximity to pornography.

"The Nude in Art." 1897. The Decorator and Furnisher 29 (4): 114.

5

The main argument of this text is: That due to the lack of some artists not using nudity
in the correct manner the public have misconstrued the philosophy of the nude used
within the art spectrum. The following 3 or 4 related ideas support this argument

For many years the nude was considered extreme in the opinion or doctrine of
painting. It was a splendid expression in art and a project to be undertaken. It was
important and requires boldness and should not be taken in hand lightly without
advice.
The idea of painting the female nude was about displaying the sheer beauty of the
female nude.
Nudes are seen as the greatest expression of nonrepresentational thoughts in
painting

Poling, Linda and Annina Guyas. 2008. "Removing the Fig Leaf: Issues and Strategies for
Handling Nudity in the Art Room." Art Education 61 (1): 39-43, 35.
Doi:10.2307/27696262.

The main argument of this text is: How the handling off nudity in the classroom, can
prevent many conflictive views of society. The following 3 or 4 related ideas support
this argument

For many years the nude body has been a worldwide art subject which has brought
about many conflictive view held within the art room.
Those teaching art have the responsibility of guiding their students to use nudity
in a responsible manner.
As Art educators it is vital to express the importance of ones freedom of
expression at the same time as ensuring the understanding or need to protect any
efforts to reducing that freedom.
It is important that a persons right to create is never be mixed up with their right
to freedom to show.

Leighton, Lord Frederick. 1830-1896. Actaea, the Nymph of the Shore.