Why so many 'nudes' in European oil paintings? That was the question that I barely could have answered to with the vague emptiness of elongated "well⋯". Well, surely
The image is what comes before words.
as declared adamantly first and foremost in the book. Upon gazing at the so-called master's works, the masterpieces, we are likely to wonder 'how' those displayed highly up in the glamorous golden walls with all the spotlights shining on themselves, are so different from the identically-looking images in magazines or whatever medium we can think of. And that's exactly where this book of 'sight' starts on its marvelous journey.
First, why draw? Why are paintings always embellishing, from ancient to modren times, the palaces or the palace-like houses, possessions of the rich? To grasp any slight pieces of clue, we really need to throw away of our contemporary concept of 'vision', which is made ubiquitous and so-easy-to-hold by the invention of camera. Back then, obviously, seeing was nothing like that, the painting being the very and the only means to convey what one sees to another without any unwanted loss or distortion of information. The 'another' included the future subjects, too. The future self, the future grandkids, the followers of him who may find out the evidence of his power and worthiness via illustrated image.
Then, how far can this measure of expressing self-egoism go? Taking into account how the society was weaved with monosexually biased hierarchical system, of course the appearances of woman was included in the 'objects of depiction' in the very own painting ordered by oneself. Then, we can deduce answer to "Why so many nudes?", especially "why so many nudes of woman, looking outside to the spectator?". It was a means of possession, or granting the spectator-owner with the sense of 'I' taking the right to to voyeuristically lay eyes on the objectified female, either literally or delusionally. If the woman in real life was actually somehow subordinated to him, one might hang the picture up high and the visitors would have envied him. That turns out to be the source of delicate and enticing, yet straightforward eye contact from the female figures in oil painting.
The book adds on that it was the very characteristic of 'oil painting' that actually made all of these possible. How tangible and realistic can it depict objects in such fabulous manner! It empowers the picture with the chance to seize the impossibly substantial look so as to make one feel that if one looks at it, the object might be in the reach of one's arms. From furry textures all the way to metallic shimmers, it surely did a crucial role in bonding the painting with 'desire' throughout mankind's journey.
And not surprisingly, that desire continues to go on, even now. Walk around the roads, and you will be bombed by enormous amount of yet pretending to be silent 'publicity'. The book critically points out that the essence of such publicity is to deprive ouselves of the sense of feeling well. We are defined to be not enough, when compared to the future self, who will be good enough and enviable enough by others when we 'buy that product'. The desire, the obsession to possession, the show-off, the social atmosphere driven by the allure of capitalism⋯ This is exactly what the book is trying to address regarding modern capitalism and the people living in it, half with comprehension, and the other half with heartful concern. 😔
- 저자
- 존 버거
- 출판
- Penguin Classic
- 출판일
- 2009.03.01
