Gendered Violence and Female Rebellion in 17th- and 20th-Century Art

Abstract

From classical mythology to 20th-century modernism, Western art has consistently shaped the female body as a site where aesthetics and violence intersect. This paper examines how male artists - from Rubens to Picasso and Hans Bellmer - construct narratives of gendered violence, positioning women as passive spectators or objects of the male gaze. Furthermore, it analyzes how female artists, such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Teresa Margolles, and Nan Goldin, actively challenged and redefined this visual tradition through media such as painting, textiles, and photography. Employing a comparative historical approach, this paper juxtaposes Baroque and Modernist works to reveal how patriarchal traditions continue to glorify female suffering, while female artists reaffirm the subjectivity of female narratives by placing resistance or the active exposure of scars at the core of their work. By comparing 17th- and 20th-century visual culture, this paper reveals both the persistence of the male gaze and the powerful subversion wrought by female artists. The conclusion is that the representation of violence against women in art history not only mirrors patriarchy but also serves as a battleground for female artists to resist and reconstruct female subjectivity through their creative practices.