Reference no: EM133640994

Question: Is gender relevant to art - to the works that an artist makes or to their meaning?

Gender has undeniably played a role in the history of art. The societal perception of gender roles has influenced the expectations placed on artists, leading to the marginalization of women in the art world. Simone de Beauvoir's analysis in "The Second Sex" identifies the root cause as the societal perception of men and women as asymmetrical beings. Men are commonly regarded as active and strong, while women are viewed as passive and weak. This asymmetry leads to the assignment of different roles, with men in active, leadership positions and women in supportive, ancillary roles. Certain subjects, such as flowers, have traditionally been associated with femininity. The example of O'Keeffe's flower paintings challenges the notion of flowers as "merely" a feminine topic, as the artist herself denied any explicit intent to depict female anatomy.