Streszczenie:
The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to how We as women look at ourselves and
how They look at us. Research made for this work is based on research material, painting,
and photography, from the end of the XIX century, and ending with more contemporary
examples. The paper starts with a summary that introduces terms such as the Mirror
Stage and the Male Gaze, which are essential for further analysis of female representation
in art. Other issues covered in the paper are related to women’s condition as “The Other”,
which has been structured by the patriarchal system, and how it is reflected in the
images. The research paper attempts to show different ways how visual representation
creates a particular image within the common consciousness. The study scrutinises the
female nude, as a multitude of symbols and signs that perfectly illustrate the problem of
creating artworks specifically with a male audience in mind. The paper identifies deeply
rooted objectification of women. Among the conclusions from the research, it is worth
highlighting that the beauty that is demanded of women is what often captivates them. By
increasing awareness and sensitivity to the perception of images, it is possible to
understand today’s sexualization of the female form and in which direction it is going or
may go in the future.
