Fine Arts Center

Fine Arts Center

The viewer’s perception of a nude is strongly linked to the fact of being male or female. In chapter 3 of Berger’s Ways of Seeing, he focuses on the difference in gender representation. My analysis on Study for a David and Goliath by Paul Cadmus relates with the chapter and is also very thought-provoking.

Berger’s analysis of the nude points out that they are commissioned by the viewer most of the time. They also are in charge of the pose and theme of the portrait, which means that whoever the model is doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is how the viewer perceives it. Berger states that, “The “ideal” spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of the woman is designed to flatter him”  (64).  It sounds a little sexist, but he also explains that in history the perception of the male has always been that of a violent and masculine nature, which is why women are the norm within the nude category. Berger tests his audiences’ belief by telling them to change any female nude they’ve seen into a male and notice the violence that is portrayed after the transition. Scenes are sometimes including a male lover in the room, but the girl’s attention is never on him and always on the viewer who considers himself as the true lover. 

Paul Cadmus’s self-portrait Study of David and Goliath presents numerous details depicting dominance and violence. It relates to Berger’s writing about the perception of a male nude by depicting a violent and masculine appeal rather than a sexual and submissive nude of a female. The fact that this is a self-portrait tells us that there was no commissioner and that every detail was put in place to show the characters personality and not what the viewer wanted to see. The artist has himself staring directly at the viewer and not the other male in the room, which coincides with chapter 3. Berger mentions how facial expressions in most portraits are usually inviting (55). In Study of David and Goliath the expression given off by Cadmus is inviting, but in a different way. The expression combined with the violent atmosphere makes the masculinity within the picture that much more prominent. The first thing that pops out in this painting is the red collar on the second male figure. The tilted head and bright red collar of the other male figure make it seem like his neck has been cut. The artwork in the background of the painting also depicts the same violent behavior. The faces of the other men in the pictures are not revealed and create a sense of wonder if it is not his first time doing this. Seeing this painting helps clarify Berger’s writing within the chapter by being a visual aid on the same subject of nudes.

Works Cited: Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London: British Broadcasting, 1972. Print