Although classical nude paintings are often appreciated, priceless, and praised for depicting the traditional, bare human form beautifully, modern advertisements of women in comparison are often regarded as outrageous and shameful. Present artwork is more vivid due to technological advancements of tools such as photographic equipment, Photoshop, and Illumination. Nude paintings in the Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, and Neoclassical periods have been created due to the painters’ judgment towards female beauty without concealment.
Within the 15th century, the Renaissance painting of the Madonna Surrounded by Seraphim and Cherubim, illustrates a Virgin Mary with her breast exposed, prepared to feed baby Jesus. Her exposed breast was a symbol of wealth, status, and nutrition. However within the 21st century, controversy ignited when a photo of a mom breastfeeding her six year old son was made the cover of TIME magazine, which malicious commenter’s criticizing that it was “child molestation” and “provocative”. Society’s reaction toward the front page displays how overdramatic and sensitive people have become towards something as natural as breast feeding. This is contradictory to how people are arguably desensitized with the nudity allotted on advertisements. Future generations must be exposed to a more artistic and natural approach to nudity, rather than the sexually appealing types that are often found in advertisements today.
The use of sexual content in advertisements is debatable between many major perspectives. Culturally, sexualization in media differs depending on how open the society is to revealing nudity and intimacy on camera. Asian cultures are typically described as conservative compared to Western cultures. Advertisements could also be viewed form of art as it is a form of expression and are usually successful because they arouse curiosity, attention, and controversy from their viewers. Sexualization of females in commercial advertisements has become an issue as it affects how they are viewed historically, artistically, and culturally and must be addressed in the future to gain respect for women and prevent their constant demoralization.
