Female Nude Self-portrait In Modern Art

In western countries,female artists were able to enter art colleges in 19 th century.In the 20 th century,female artists entered the world of art history,female artists’ self-portraits have become a separate topic of discussion.In 1906,Paula Modersohn-Becker,a German female artist,created the Self-portrait at 6thWedding Anniversary in her Paris studio.This is the first known female nude self-portrait in art history.40 years later,Mexican female artist Frida Kahlo created the Broken Column with her unique artistic style,which makes the art form of female nude self-portrait more well-known.From ancient times till now,female nude image has always been an important motif in painting.In western traditional reproductive paintings,female nude image is often regarded as a pure art form.Sometimes artists also exaggerate and deform certain parts of female nude in order to express oppressed feelings.It is undeniable that most female nude paintings are actually for men’s visual pleasure and consumption.All these changes have taken place in the works of some female artists in the 20 th century.Their unique works from the perspective of women resonate with the audience.These artists then begin to face up to their bodies.Their nude self-portraits are a way to vent their personal feelings and explore their self-consciousness.They no longer consider themselves as male accessories.This is first reflected in the Self-portrait of 6thWedding Anniversary and the Broken column.Starting from these two paintings,this dissertation analyses the evolution and development of female nude self-portrait in the context of modern art.Actually,the female artists represented by Paula Modersohn-Becker and Frida Kahlo created a new world of nude female painting in modern art,which contains the complex feelings of women in modern life,especially their concerns about their gender,physiology and cultural and social roles.Compared with traditional self-portraits,such kind of self-portraits can better reflect the complex meaning of women’s role in modern society.This dissertation also attempts to explore the significance of female nude self-portrait in modern art from multiple dimensions.