Viewer/Voyeur: The Female Form in Modern Art 1890 - Present

Alon Zakaim Fine Art is delighted to present Viewer/Voyeur: The Female Form in Modern Art 1890 - Present, an exhibition that critically examines the presentation of the female figure in modern art, and the positioning of the audience by the artist. Featuring works by Marc Chagall, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and magnificent sculptures by Baltasar Lobo, Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin, we celebrate these extraordinary depictions of women while also contemplating our own relationship with each work. Have the artists made us welcome when viewing the work, or have they made us complicit in an element of secretive voyeurism?

The female body has long been a popular theme in art, and crude depictions of women’s bodies can be found in the Venus figurines in central Europe that date back to the late Stone Age. This theme carries through the ages to the present day, and the presentation of the feminine in art throughout time has often had an element of voyeurism. However, it can be suggested that voyeuristic art requires a viewer; it cannot exist without an audience. This show aims to explore this narrative, and to contrast works in which the viewer is a welcome onlooker to a scene, and others in which the viewers are unexpected visitors in a view created for our consumption.

The show opens with three examples of late nineteenth-century female portraiture. Pierre Carrier-Belleuse’s 1893 portrait of a woman lacing up her corset catches the figure at an intimate moment of her routine, with no artifice or embellishment, who seems almost surprised at being interrupted. This is contrasted by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s Femme de maison, one of the highlights of the exhibition, and its honest but dignified depiction of a madam in a Montmartre brothel Toulouse-Lautrec frequented. The contrived pose, which was common in studies for formal portraits in the late nineteenth century, lends the sitter a pride not often allowed to a woman of her social standing. These portrayals of women in familiar environments, or undertaking everyday tasks, places them in a decidedly human perspective.

In some cases, voyeurism in art can be seen as a means of exploring human sexuality and desire, particularly in the context of the male gaze. For example, in Gérardus Hendrik Grauss’ Café Scene, the artist depicts a group of women entertaining two men in a café. However, rather than presenting them as passive objects of desire, Grauss challenges traditional notions of femininity and power by portraying the women as confident in their sexuality. They gaze at each other with amusement at the men’s actions and we are allowed to share in a private joke that they are making at their expense.

The show concludes with a set of four contemporary photographs. The advent of photography took the concept of voyeurism to new heights. Rather than painstakingly and purposefully including minute details through the medium of oil or acrylic, a single snapshot of the world enabled an honesty and vulnerability painting was not able to imitate. The instantaneous capture of a moment with all details included paved the way for celebrity photographers such as Lorenzo Agius and Terry O’Neill to share both candid and carefully staged photographs of public figures that, through film and photography, have become household names.

Voyeurism in art can be a complex and controversial topic, with different artists using it to explore different themes and ideas. While some may see it as a means of exploring human desire and sexuality, others may view it as a form of exploitation or objectification. We invite you to examine your position when looking at the art. Are you a welcome viewer, or a discrete voyeur?

'Viewer/Voyeur: The Female Form in Modern Art 1890 - Present' will run at Alon Zakaim Fine Art, 27 Cork Street, London W1S 3NG, from Mon 24th April until Fri 30th June 2023. Entry is free and gallery opening hours are 09.00 - 18.00, Mon – Fri.

Please contact the gallery for further information.