Överflödets oundvikliga vidrighet: Sexualitet, kroppen och det abjekta i den flamländska barockens måleri
(2021) KOVK03 20202Division of Art History and Visual Studies
- Abstract
- The purpose of the following thesis is through the combination of a semiotic and phenomenological analysis, to investigate the flemish 17th century painting Achelous Defeated by Hercules. The Creation of The Cornucopia (Allegory of Fruitfulness). The theoretical approach will be based on a treatment of the picture as a symbolic body, which evokes bodily responses similar to those that a real body would. From this perspective, the picture’s relationship towards the bodily urges of hunger and sexuality will be investigated, as well as how these all relate to the theory of the abject. Furthermore, a critical feminist approach will be employed, in order to establish how hunger, sexuality and abjection relate to 17th century ideals of gender.... (More)
- The purpose of the following thesis is through the combination of a semiotic and phenomenological analysis, to investigate the flemish 17th century painting Achelous Defeated by Hercules. The Creation of The Cornucopia (Allegory of Fruitfulness). The theoretical approach will be based on a treatment of the picture as a symbolic body, which evokes bodily responses similar to those that a real body would. From this perspective, the picture’s relationship towards the bodily urges of hunger and sexuality will be investigated, as well as how these all relate to the theory of the abject. Furthermore, a critical feminist approach will be employed, in order to establish how hunger, sexuality and abjection relate to 17th century ideals of gender. The result of this essay shows that these all do relate to each other, and are manifested in the picture through the figure of Hercules and his defeat of the river god Achelous. A complex and contradictory meaning emerges, in which a male ideal of self-restraint is established against the constructed image of woman as bearer of bodily urges, abjection and sin. Furthermore the picture confirms the complex relationship between life and the abject, while simultaneously seeking to hide and purge the abject of its horror. Central to this is the urge of scopophilia, which through the picture seeks to establish bodily urges of hunger and sexuality without any bodily experiences nor production of the abject. The picture mirrors counter-reformation ideology where the whole world, even that which is deemed the lowest and most pointless, is absorbed into the narrative of the high-culture, in order to establish the ruling class and the importance of their ideals for the continuation of peace and prosperity. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9039806
- author
- Björnberg, Dante LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- The unavoidable disgust of abundance: Sexuality, body and abjection in Flemish baroque painting
- course
- KOVK03 20202
- year
- 2021
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Baroque painting, Jacques Jordaens, Jacob Jordaens, 17th-century art, fruit, cornucopia, body, body in art, bodily urges, sexuality, sexuality in art, hunger, hunger in art, flemish baroque, flemish painting, the abject, the gaze, scopophilia, feminism, Hercules, the bacchanalia, mythology, history painting.
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9039806
- date added to LUP
- 2021-02-08 08:50:06
- date last changed
- 2021-02-08 08:50:06
@misc{9039806,
abstract = {{The purpose of the following thesis is through the combination of a semiotic and phenomenological analysis, to investigate the flemish 17th century painting Achelous Defeated by Hercules. The Creation of The Cornucopia (Allegory of Fruitfulness). The theoretical approach will be based on a treatment of the picture as a symbolic body, which evokes bodily responses similar to those that a real body would. From this perspective, the picture’s relationship towards the bodily urges of hunger and sexuality will be investigated, as well as how these all relate to the theory of the abject. Furthermore, a critical feminist approach will be employed, in order to establish how hunger, sexuality and abjection relate to 17th century ideals of gender. The result of this essay shows that these all do relate to each other, and are manifested in the picture through the figure of Hercules and his defeat of the river god Achelous. A complex and contradictory meaning emerges, in which a male ideal of self-restraint is established against the constructed image of woman as bearer of bodily urges, abjection and sin. Furthermore the picture confirms the complex relationship between life and the abject, while simultaneously seeking to hide and purge the abject of its horror. Central to this is the urge of scopophilia, which through the picture seeks to establish bodily urges of hunger and sexuality without any bodily experiences nor production of the abject. The picture mirrors counter-reformation ideology where the whole world, even that which is deemed the lowest and most pointless, is absorbed into the narrative of the high-culture, in order to establish the ruling class and the importance of their ideals for the continuation of peace and prosperity.}},
author = {{Björnberg, Dante}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Överflödets oundvikliga vidrighet: Sexualitet, kroppen och det abjekta i den flamländska barockens måleri}},
year = {{2021}},
}