2Many of the ideas in the preceding essay have been taken fromanother, written over forty years agoby the German critic andphilosopherWalterBenjamin.His essaywas entitled TheWorkof Art in the AgeofMechanical Reproduction.This essayis availablein Englishinacollection called Illuminations (Cape,London1970)34
I~any of the ideas in the preceding essay have been taken from another, written over forty years ago by the German critic and philosopher Walter Benjamin. His essay was entitled The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. This essay is available in English in a coUlectien called illuminations (Cape, London 1978)
CLINING.BACCHANIEBYAccording to usage and conventions which are atlast being questioned but have byno means beenovercome,the social presence of a womanis different in kind fromthatofa man.Amon'spresenceis dependent upon the promise ofpower which he embodies. If the promise is large andcredible his presence is striking.If it is small or incredible,heis found tohave little presence.The promised power may bemoral,physical,temperamental,economic,sociol,sexual-butits object is always exterior to the man.A man's presence45
According to usage and conventions which are at last being questioned but have by no means been overcome, the social presence of a woman is different in kind from that of a man. A man’s presence is dependent upon the promise of power which he embodies. If the promise is large and credible his presence is striking. If it is small or incredible, he is found to have little presence. The promised power may be moral, physical, temperamental, economic, social, sexual - but its object is always exterior to the man. A man’s presence
auggests what he is capable of doing to you or for you. Hispresence regulates what is and is not'permissibie'within herpresence may be fabricated, in the sense that he pretends to hepresence.Every one of heractions--whateverits directcapable of what he is not. But the pretence is always towardspurpose or motivation-is also read as an indicationof howa power which ne exercises on others.she would like to be treated. If a woman throws a giass on theBy contrast,a woman'spresence expresses herfioor, this is an example of how she treats her own emotion ofown attitude to herseif, and defincs what can and cannot beanger and so of how she would wish it to ba treatad by others.If a man does the same, his action is only read as andone to her.Herpresence is manifestin hergestures,voice,opinions,expressions,clothes,chosen surroundings,tasteexpression of his anger.If a woman makes a good joke this lsindeed there is nothing she can do which doesnot contributeanexample of how ahetreats the jokerinherselfandto her presence. Presence for a womaa is so intrinsic to heraccordingly of how she as ajoker-woman would like to beperson that men tend to think of it as an almost physicaltreated by others. Only a man cen make a good joke for its ownemanation, a kind of heat or smell or aura.sake.To be born a woman has been to be born, withinOne might simplify this by saying: men act andan allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men. Thewomen appear.Men lookatwomen.Womenwatch themseivessocial presence of women has developed as aresult of theirbeing looked at. This determines not only most relationsingenuity in living under such tutelage within such a fimitedbetween men and women butalso the relatian of womea tospace. But thia has been at the cost of a woman's self heingthemaelves. The surveyor of woman in herself is male: theaplit into two.A woman must continuaily watch herseif. Shesurveyed female. Thus she turns herself into an object -andis almost continually accompanied by her own image ofmost particularly an object of vision: a sight.herseif. Whilst sha is walking across a room or whilst she isweeping at the death of her father, she can scarcely avoidenvisaging herself walking or weeping.From earliest childhootahe has been taught and persuaded to survey hersolfcontinually.In one category of European oil painting womenAnd so she cames to considerthe surveyor and thewere the principal, ever-recurring subject. That category is thesurveyedwithinharas the two constituentyet always distinctnude,Inthe nudes of European painting we can discover someelements ot her identity as a woman.of the criteria and conventions by which women have been She has to survey everything she is ond everythingSeen and judged as sights.she doas because how she appears to others, and ultimatelyhow she appears to men, is of crucial importance for what isThe first nudes in the tradition depicted Adamnormally thought of as the success of her life. Her own senseand Eve. It is worth referring to the story es told in Genesis:of being in herself is supplanted by a sense of beingappreciated as herself by another.And whenthewomansawthatthetreewasgoodforMen survey women before treating them.food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that theConsequently how a woman appears to a man can determinetreewas to bedesiredto make one wise, shetook of thehow she will he treated, To acquire some control over thisfruit thereof and did eat: and she gave also unto herprocess, women must contain it and interiorize it.That part ofhusband with her, and he did eat.a woman's self which is the surveyor treats the part which isthe surveyed so as to demonstrate to others how her wholeAnd the eyes of them both were opened, and theyknewself wouid like to he treated. And this exemplary treatment ofthat they were naked; and they sewed fig-leavesherseif hyherself constitutesherpresance,Everywaman'stogether andmadethemseivesaprons...And the4647
suggests what he is capable of doing to you Jr for you. His presence may be fabricated, in the sense that he pretends to be capable of what he is not. But the pretence is always towards a power which ne exercises on others. By contrast, a woman’s presence expresses her own attitude to herself, and defines what can and cannot be done to her. Her presence is manifest in her gestures, voice, opinions, expressions, c~o~es, chosen surroundings, taste - ~ndee~ t~ere Js no~hing she can do which does not contribute ~o ~e~ presence. Presence for a woman is so intrinsic ~o her emanation, a kind of ~eat or smell or aura. social presence o~ women ~as deveJope~ as a result of their space. ~u~ ~h~s ~as been at ~e cos~ o~ a woman’s self being spg~ Jn~o ~wo. ~ woma, mus~ continually ~a~eh ~erself. ~e~self. Wh~s~ she is wa~ing across a room o~ whilst she weepin~ at ~he death of her father, she can scarcely she has been taught and persuaded to survey ~ ~nd so she comes to consider the ;,rveyor and the surveyed within her as the ~o constituent ye~ always dis~inc~ e~eme,ts of her ~den~ity as a woman. " She has ~o survey ever~hing she is and every~hin~ she ~oes because how she appears to others, and ultimately how she appears ~o men, ~s of crucial [mportance for what norma~y thought o~ as the success of her life. Her own sense of being in herself is supplanted by a sense of being appreciated as herself by another. ~en survey women before treating them. Consequently ~ow a woman appears to a man can ~eterm~ne how she wi~] be ~eated. To acquire some control ove~ this process, women mus~ contain it and interiorize ~t. Tha~ par~ of ~erse~f by herseff ~ons~u~es her presence. Eve~ woman’s 46 presence regulates what is and is not "permissible" within her presence. Every one of her actions - whatever its dire~t purpose or motivation - is also read as an indication of how she would like to be treated, if a woman throws a glass on the floor, this is an example of how she treats her own emotion of anger and so of how she would wish it to be treated by others. Ifa man does the same, his action is only read as an expression of his anger, if a woman makes a good joke this is . an example of how she treats the joker in herself and ~ ~. accordingly of how she as a jo.ker-woman would like to he :~: i, treated by others. Only a man can make e good joke for its own sake. One might simplify this by saying : men act and women appear. P, flen |ook at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most relations between men and women but also the relation of women to themselves. The surveyor of woman in herself is male: the surveyed female. Thus she turns herself into an object - and most pae~icularKy an object of vision: a sight. In one category of European oil painting women were the principab ever-recurring subject. That category is the nude, In the nudes of Europeen painting we san discover some of the criteria and conventions by which women have been d j dg ight The first nudes in the tradition depicted Adam and Eve. It is worth referring to the story as told in Genesis: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that itwas a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat, And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons . And the 47
During the Renaissance the narrative sequenceLord God called unto the man and said unto him,disappeared, and the single moment depictedbecame.the'Where are thou?'And he said, 'I heard thy voice in themoment of shame.The couple wear fig-leaves or make agarden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hidmodest gesture with their hands. But now their shame is notmyself. .so much in relation to one another as to the spectator.Unto the woman God said,I will greatlymuitiplythysorrow and thy conception;in sorrowthou shaltbringAAAUBEEARLYIGTHCENTURYforth children; and thydesire shall be to thy husband andhe shall ruleoverthee'.What is striking about this story? They hecameaware ofbeing naked hecause, as aresult of eating the apple,each sawtheotherdifferently.Nakedness was created inthemind of thebeholder.The second strikingfactis thatthewomanisblamed and is punished by being made subservient to the man.In relation to the woman,the man hecomes the agent of God.Inthemedieval traditionthe storywasoftenLaterthe shamebecomesakind of displayillustrated,scenefollowing scene,osin a stripcartoon.THE COUPLE BY MAX SLEVOGT 186B-ADVERTISEMENT FOR UNDERWEARVI.PWhenthe tradition of paintingbecamemoresecular,other themes also offered the opportunity of paintingnudes. But in them all there remains the implication that thesubject (a woman) is aware of being seen by a spectator.4948
Lord God called unto the man and said unto him, ’Where are thou?’ And he said, ’~ heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myse~lf . Unto the ,v:~rnan God said, ’ I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in so~’row thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee’. What is striking about this story? They became aware of being naked because, as a result of eating the apple, each saw the other differently. Nakedness was created in the mind of the beholder. The second striking fact is that the woman is blamed and is punished by being made subservient to the man. |n relation to the woman, the man becomes the agent of God. in the medieval tradition the story was often illustrated, scene following scene, as in a strip cartoon. During the Renaissance the narrative sequence disappeared, and the single moment depicted became~the moment of shame. The couple wear fig-leaves or make a so much in relation to one another as to the spectator. Later the shame becomes a kind of display. When the tradition of painting became more secular, other themes also offered the opportunity of painting nudes. But in them all there remains the implication that the subject (a woman) is aware of being seen by a spectator. 48 49