Natanja von Stosch and Juliet Kothe

Boobs in the Arts: Fe:male Bodies in Pictorial History

An Art and Visual History of the Breast

Boobs in the Arts: Fe:male Bodies in Pictorial History is a compendium of images spanning different eras, art movements, and discourses. The works presented can be read as commentaries on their respective time periods, and the selection brings together various artistic positions from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present in chronological order.

With just over 100 artists all dealing with the female breast, each position offers insight into the construction and deconstruction of “femininity” since the turn of the 20th century. Many of the selected works reflect the attribution and transformation of gender roles through this period. They often refer to cultural practices, myths, and even the institutionalized thinking deeply inscribed within social and cultural narratives, which have all played a part in determining what is commonly defined as “feminine.”

Each reproduction is accompanied by a text in which either the artist describes their own works or authors introduce the motifs. Cecilia Alemani, Ann Mbuti and Lana Wachowski share their perspectives in additional contributions.

Boobs in the Arts: Fe:male Bodies in Pictorial History integrates new perspectives and discourses through the lens of art, and thus aims to contribute to the reinterpretation of conventional readings of women’s bodies.