Narcissism in Art

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Narcissus by Caravaggio (1597)

Caravaggio’s “Narcissus,” painted in 1597 illustrates the Greek myth of Narcissus who falls in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Caravaggio utilizes body positions to demonstrate Narcissus’s admiration for himself: he is leaning his body and tilting his head toward the pond in a loving manner almost as if he is trying to kiss the reflection. Additionally, his left hand seems to be in the water, which shows him trying to touch the image in the water in an attempt to get closer to his “love.” The way Narcissus looks at himself is as if he looks at a baby: a gentle loving glare.

Historically, toward the end of the 16^th century, Europe saw a change from a focus on the power of the Catholic Church to the emphasis on personal gain and independence from a religious stronghold. The shift to making decisions for oneself rather than living one’s life based off of what the church dictated may have contributed to more art pieces showing narcissistic behavior. This switch from giving all one’s life to the dedication of the Catholic Church to focusing little by little more on oneself was one of the humanistic ideals stressed during this time period (Duiker 351-2).Caravaggio’s depiction of Narcissus is a precursor to future pieces of work such as Picasso’s “Girl Before A Mirror” in 1932 Narcissism is a human condition that has been depicted in classical and modern art.

Duiker, William J. and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World History ed. 5th. United States: Thomas Wadsworth, 2007. 351-2.

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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.