If Renaissance Painters’ Muses Had Been Anorexic…
January 14, 2008 by angelique
Filed under Women's Health
I have two undergraduate degrees — one is in English, the other is in Art History. Consequently, visual and literary art appeal to me, speak to me, pacify me and inspire me.
On a whim, I typed the words “anorexic art” into a Google search engine and came across a most interesting contest at www.freakingnews.com, a site devoted to News Photoshop Contests. There, the community was challenged to use existing masterpieces and show what they would look like if the main figure(s) was/were anorexic.
The following one, created by a talented gal named JannaR (whom I’d love to interview, but could not reach via her email link), is my favorite and I feel speaks volumes about how EDs twist a sufferer’s thinking and body image.
Below is the original 1879 painting by William Bouguereau entitled “Birth of Venus”. Notice how beautifully he captures the feminine curves of the nymph…
The second is JannaR’s photo-shopped rendition of the picture, cheekily entitled “Birth of an Anorexic”:
Which is more beautiful to your eyes? I know which I would choose to hang on my wall.
(special thanks to www.freakingnews.com for giving me permission to use JannaR’s image.)
Thank you for such nice words about our site. Please save the second image to your site as your visitors (those who did not visit FreakingNews.com) would not be able to see the image hotlinked from our suite (due to anti-leech software we have).
You have a great site, and we wish you the best. If you ever want to republish images from our site, we’d be happy to let you.
NewsMaster,
FreakingNews.com
Definitely the top.
These people and their photoshopping skills! Never ceases to amaze me. And this JannaR speaks volumes with hers.
Hi Angelique!
Glad you’ve enjoyed my image! I’ve just now stumbled across your site. Sorry, I didn’t recieve your email, or I would have been in touch with you sooner.
Ok, this “thing” that JannaR made RUINED the good peice of art. It’s complety stupid how so many great peices of art made in the Renaissance time period get detroyed by modern punks. Mordern times is full of the smart and ALOT more stupid. We have scientist – smart, We have pilots – smart, then there are then there are contractors, clothing designers, and law enforcement all smart. Now we come to artist wich are a huge disgrace to the title. Remake this, scrible on that, nothing you people do is true art till you put your mind, heart, soul, and love into a painting something you people dont under stand. Anime designers are better artist then you stuck up, snoty, rich, so called “high end” artist. I mean all you do is ruin art (JannaR) or try to make some of your own. Note to moron’s, art isn’t splashes and scribbles of color if so 4 year olds are “Artists” like you.