Pablo Picasso's 'Les Demoiselles D' Avignon

Question 1.

Compare and contrast two of the artworks/film excerpts listed below, in order to analyse how modernist artists/filmmakers used the human body as an expression of broader social or political ideas.

Pablo Picasso’s ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon' and Paula Modersohn-Becker’s ‘Self-portrait with amber necklace ’ in comparison to each other both use the human body as a vessel and form of expression to convey the social ideas about femininity and the perception women’s bodies in the early 20th century. The social response in the early twentieth century to women’s bodies were very reserved in a largely male dominate era, a females body was to be considered sacred and was a symbol of fertility. Picasso’s ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon' was a leading edge breakthrough from traditional composition and perspective and a very well-known example of cubism, the painting is symbol of erotica and the seductive nature woman can have. Becker’s ‘Self-portrait with amber necklace’ is an empowering piece about the female body and empowers women to confront their nudity and manifest their inner power and confidence. Becker was challenging what is meant to paint portraiture of the female body and the social construct around how it should be represented, as

Picasso in his artwork used the human body as an expression of social ideas and construct around the way women should be represented especially in his era of the early 20th century, he challenged the standard set by society. The artworks title translate into ‘The Young Ladies of Avignon’ which was the artworks second title as the original had to be changed as it was deemed to be to outrageous for the general public, the original title was ‘Le Bordel d’Avignon’ which translates into ‘The Brothel of