Unraveling the Female Nakedness : The Examination of Gender Inequality Manifested in Female Sculptures during the Classical Period, and it's Relevance

Sammanfattning: This research examines the manifestation of gender inequality represented in female sculptures during the Classical period and the relevance of such evidence. To achieve the purpose, the female figures and their sculptural developments are compared to their male counterparts, and their differences are examined and interpreted. After that, the essay views how female figures from Greek mythology were represented unequally regarding the “female nakedness” and its manipulation. To conclude, the relevance of the evidence on the manifestation of female inferiority in Classical Greek sculpture is discussed by examining how the Graeco-Roman world is often perceived and how this perception might be improved in the future for the new evidence to become more relevant.  During the Classical period, Greek sculpture embodied the ideals and values of the patriarchal society. This resulted in female figures that were never represented equally and instead were made to embody the societies’ misogynistic view of women and their bodies. While the male statues were nude, athletic, and heroic, the female figures were fully clothed or partially exposed, made erotic and sensual, and with the female nakedness, they were depicted as vulnerable, violated, and always enslaved to their biology.  Not only is the evidence on gender manifestation relevant, but it should be acknowledged on a much larger scale. The misguided perception of the Graeco-Roman world should be corrected, and we should begin a new chapter in art history and create a new generation of non- biased perceptions. Ultimately, the female figures should be acknowledged for what they represent and not ignored.