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Pauline Bonaparte: The Story and the Woman |
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written
by shivali / 10.24.2005 |
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| Sculpture and movement |
1 of 1 |
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Assignment |
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For Pauline Bonaparte’s sculpture, like Bernini’s pieces, force viewer participation in order to reveal not only a story, but also Pauline Bonaparte’s personality. When entering the room from the back, my gaze moves from her foot to her leg and to the apple. Being portrayed as Venus, the famous apple marks Bonaparte’s beauty above all others. Her fingers are gently wrapped around it; no force or effort is required to maintain her claim to her title as for Venus. Then, I continue around the statue. I follow the curves of the cloth that cling to her body for she is wearing no clothes- just a cloth and a simple bracelet. No elaborate clothing is necessary for Pauline Bonaparte’s display of beauty. My attention shifts to her body and the beauty of the female form. Candlelight would complete the romantic scene of the complete naked women laying on a sofa. My gaze then moves to her face. She is self-aware and calm as her head is slightly shifted to the right.
Art is made with self-awareness: pieces and poses are chosen with their distinct meanings. The statute of Pauline Bonaparte is a woman’s claim to power in a city where every statue and monument is an ode with male might. Women’s power during this time in history is primarily sexual; women have no property rights or formal acknowledgement before the government. Pauline Bonaparte uses the statue as her own personal propaganda. She is drawing a distinct connection between herself and Venus. As a God, Venus held significant power in the Roman mythical history. Pauline Bonaparte understands her sexuality. The statue makes the boldest of all statements: she is the most beautiful of all women. As my eyes shift to her face, it becomes obvious there is no shame and modesty in the claim. Her confidence is apparent for the statue was displayed before visitors to the Villa. Pauline wanted herself to be clearly associated with the nude and sexual statue. Consider that when a man sees her, he will think of the statue of the most beautiful women sprawled out on a sofa. She would have been an unusually powerful woman among men. Her facial expression reveals her naughtiness. Though not vulgar or obscene, the sculpture is a claim to sexual power.
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