To answer these questions, we will look at various works depicting women in different periods of history, and by both male and female artists. Recalling the reclining Venus as a traditional and socially acceptable depiction of the female form, we will begin by considering Titian’s Venus of Urbino. This will then lead us to take a look at Édouard Manet’s Olympia, roughly 300 years later. Continuing to move through time, we will look at Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, followed by Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Still #35. Finally, we will consider Simone Leigh’s Las Meninas. 

Each piece presents a snapshot of the time period it was created in and the society the artists were part of. As such, these artworks provide insight into how society viewed women across the periods of the different works. When we consider these works, we must keep in mind our own viewpoints that have been shaped by our modern society and try to recognize when they clash with those of the pieces we are viewing.