ANDROGYNY IN RENAISSANCE ART

  

 

Throughout Renaissance art, the figure of angels or cupids are very common in many different painters work. However, they were purposely made to seem androgynous in how they were pictured. Their genitals may show in some circumstances but are then contradicted with opposing gender features such as larger breasts or feminine/masculine type hair. For example here, “Cupid Carving His Bow” shows a figure with wide, fleshy hips and a very narrow upper body – showing hints of breast below the upper arm. Cupid here may seem to be painted quite provocatively, contrasting against the previous paintings idea of the angel needing to seem very peaceful with no sexual occurrence. But, in an overall image, the depiction of a cherub or cupid remains commonly neutral and had to be shown with no sexual needs around the other characters.

I think focusing on an androgynous theme that i could take from the painting will be an ideal theme to really push my personal style and styling techniques into my present work. Looking at designers who base their work around these concepts or images that present an androgynous or even a genderless role would be really beneficial. I immediately think of recently found brands such as Art School who push genderless roles into their runways and garments. Also, Helmut Lang or Jean Paul Gaultier who are obviously very known brands that can be approached as androgynous, developing clothing for both men and women to wear.

 

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