Narcissism in Art: The Fall of Grace

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Fall of Grace

In a world where beauty reigns

Grace felt her life was plain

How difficult to live in shame

So she decided to find fame

She looked in the mirror and saw a girl

Who wasn’t worth so much as a pearl

She wanted to see the whole world

So chose to let herself unfurl

She went to the store to buy some makeup

For her appearance she could shakeup

Under Grace’s disguise their was a new demeanor

Someone whose actions were that of a preener

Yet, this vanity would be her demise

Her decisions to alter herself have been unwise

With beauty came fortune, and fortune brought love

She looked down at everyone as if from above

She spent all her time staring at a mirror

So much, in fact, no one would come near

Forsaken and alone, she was destroyed

Now, even her image could not bring her joy

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No matter what time period, people have always been obsessed with themselves. People feel a connection with others when they feel that others care about how they look, what they are doing, and how they feel. In the past, when forms of communication were more limited, artists and writers portrayed the human tendency of narcissism through paintings, sculptures, and literature. As art has progressed women have been portrayed as narcissistic. These pieces of art connect to the history of each time period: independence from the Catholic Church, naturalism and humanism during the Renaissance era, post-World War I obstacles, Manifest Destiny in the United States, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and feminist movements of the 1960s. The worst part is often times, people are not aware they are being narcissistic.

As art and time has progressed the view of narcissism has evolved towards women. As seen in The Feminine Mystique, written by Betty Friedman in 1963, women have always been inferior to men (Duiker 801). Because of this setback women were viewed as more concerned with their outward appearance instead of their innate ability to influence society. Because of this there has been a change in the perspective of women as seen in Diego Velasquez' painting Rokeby Venus and Pablo Picasso's A Girl Before a Mirror. This objectification of women as being narcissistic is seen in "The Perception of Female Beauty in Art" by Carly. Contrary to today's perception that women's physical perfection is to be as thin as possible, during the Tang Dynasty in China women were supposed to be "plump and voluptuous" (Carly). The author shows that the interpretation of the ideal women has changed throughout time and varies with each culture similar to "Narcissism in Art."

Avery, the author of "Perceptions of Beauty" argues that the ideal conception of a beautiful person has evolved throughout time similar to the "The Perception of Female Beauty in Art" by Carly Olszewski. In Queen Marie Antoinette by Adolf Ulrich Wertmuller, finished in the 1780s, the author demonstrates materialism of the royal family due to their lavish dress, hairstyle, and way of life. Now not only is body type, shape, and beauty viewed as narcissistic but materialistic items as well. Queen Marie Antoinette is dressed in a extravagant gown with elaborately coiffed hair. Even her children are dressed in decorative clothing. The author also argues that "the daughter [of Marie Antoinette] is looking toward the son for direction" showing the inferiority of women to men during the 18th Century (Avery). As seen, narcissism can be defined by the changes of the outlook of beauty.