Maternal bodies in the visual arts brings images of the maternal and pregnant body into the centre of art-historical enquiry. By exploring religious, secular and scientific traditions as well as contemporary art practices, it shows the power of visual imagery in framing our understanding of maternal bodies and affirming or contesting prevailing maternal ideals. The book reassesses historical models and, in drawing on original case studies, shows how visual practices by artists may offer the means of reconfiguring the maternal. It will appeal to students, academics and researchers in art history, gender studies and cultural studies, as well as to general readers interested in the maternal and visual culture. -- .

Maternal Bodies in the Visual Arts brings images of the maternal and pregnant body into the centre of art historical enquiry. By exploring religious, secular and scientific traditions as well as contemporary art practices, it shows the power of visual imagery in framing our understanding of maternal bodies and affirming or contesting prevailing maternal ideals. This book reassesses these historical models and, in drawing on original case studies, shows how visual practices by artists may offer the means of reconfiguring the maternal.
This book will appeal to students, academics and researchers in art history, gender studies and cultural studies, as well as to any readers with interests in the maternal and visual culture. It is based on visual case studies drawn from the UK, USA and Europe, which make it very attractive to an international readership. Maternal bodies in the visual arts is ideally placed to capture a growing post- and undergraduate market in maternal studies, which is beginning to emerge as a field of study in the UK and USA with courses in a wide range of social science and humanities disciplines now including the maternal as a key theme.

An Intimate Distance considers a wide range of visual images of women in the context of current debates which centre around the body, including reproductive science, questions of ageing and death and the concept of 'body horror' in relation to food, consumption and sex. A feminist reclamation of these images suggests how the permeable boundaries between the female body and technology, nature and culture are being crossed in the work of women artists.

An Intimate Distance considers a wide range of visual images of women in the context of current debates which centre around the body, including reproductive science, questions of ageing and death and the concept of 'body horror' in relation to food, consumption and sex. A feminist reclamation of these images suggests how the permeable boundaries between the female body and technology, nature and culture are being crossed in the work of women artists.

eBook available with sample pages: HB:041511084X