Undressing the Virgin Mary: Nudity and Gendered Art

What is it about?

This article explores the transformation of Mary’s body into an element of resistance in the work of some contemporary artists. By depicting her nude or semi-nude, artists disrupt the gender values commonly associated with the Virgin and open up alternative possibilities of affirmative selfhood through her body. I contend that, in these works, the Virgin’s body functions as a relational body that enters into dialogue with hitherto marginalized categories, such as the carnal, the sensual, the notion of fleshly materiality, or even the excluded sexualities of transgender people.

Featured Image