Ways of Seeing”, John Berger argues that in western nude art and present day media, that women are largely shown and treated as objects upon whom power is asserted by men either as figures in the canvas or as spectators. Berger’s purpose is to make readers aware of how the perception of women in the art so that they will recognize the evolution of western cultured art.
Berger begins by claiming that in nude art the “presence” of a man is that of an actor who asserts his power over women, who are presented as objects. By presence, Berger means how men are authorities over women in these paintings. For example, in the painting, Reclining Bacchante (page 45), the women in the painting is wanting to appear pleasing to the artist and the viewer by laying in a way that her breasts and vagina are clearly visible. Also in the upper right window, a male is awkwardly looking in through the window at the women’s private parts. These actions of the man represents how men exerted power of women and make them feel or looked upon as objects.
