The Evolution of the Female Image in Western Art from Aphrodite to Rosie the Riveter

Abstract

In this paper, we will discuss the worship of fertility goddesses around the world and how these practices inform female figures as they appear in Western art. Aphrodite, or Venus, is a key figure in our discussion. In this study, we will focus on her origin, figures, and characteristics. We will also investigate female images from the later time when Europe became a fully patriarchal society. These images evidenced a shift from a muscular and curvaceous body to a soft and submissive-looking one. Once the feminist movement was underway, images from the ancient Greek and Roman period were revived and reemerged in new ways. In this paper, we’ll use Rosie the Riveter as a modern example for study. As the message and intent of artists throughout history makes clear: the ancient goddess’s expression of “Heroic Femininity” is still full of life in today’s context. Venus, the goddess of love, sex, justice, and fertility, created with a body to be desired by man, has become, in a new world setting – a beacon for women’s equal rights and freedom.