ART/101
Tyrancer Journet
University of Phoenix
Adolf Mizzell
October 19, 2014
Art and Intention
Summarize the reaction of the public to Michelangelo’s David and Marcel Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase.
The Marcel Duchamp’s Nude Descending art work became one of the controversial works because people thought he was mocking the audience because they could not find a woman in the painting. The public did not like the Michelangelo’s David art work. They were offended by the nudity. People wanted to destroy the work. They had to put a skirt around to cover the nudity.
What did viewers of the respective time periods find objectionable about each work?
Viewer in the Marcel Duchamp’s Nude Descending art work did not understand the art work because they could not find a woman in the work. The artist did not post an actual woman in the painting. The work was a collection of jagged, flat forms that overlap in a shallow space. Viewers in the Michelangelo’s David art work did not appreciate the work. They felt it was disrespectful. The nudity of the man on the image was objectionable.
What are the reasons behind Duchamp’s innovative approach to human form?
He wanted to combine two different styles from two modern art movement of the time. So he put multiple of women walking down stairs and overlap the photo.
Does knowledge of the artist’s inspiration enhance your appreciation of Nude Descending a Staircase?
Yes is liked the image. When I first looked at the work I could not understand it but after I kept looking at it you can see how there is a person in there and it was overlapped over and over. I understand why the viewer found the work difficult because it was frustrating to me a first.