Model poses

Models in life-drawing sessions may be unaware of it, but they adopt poses that reflect western artistic assumptions. Henri Matisse helped to reinforce such assumptions in the 20th century. There's a photograph of middle-aged Matisse in his Granpa three-piece suit and spectacles examining a naked model that says a lot about the Bohemian artist-model relationship. The painting above similarly shows Matisse formally dressed, with a scantily-clad model. This scene is never reversed, with a formally dressed woman painting a naked man. The poses adopted by models in life-drawing sessions today reflect the Bohemian life-style: they are typically the poses adopted by mistresses or servants, submissive to their master artist. Obviously, women expose themselves naked to men most commonly in the bedroom, particularly now that central heating is widely available. But there are other traditions. Models should be thinking about autonomous poses that reflect the new reality. Some religious traditions offer postures that have a mandala-like completeness. Models should explore folk dancing and yogic poses that convey female independence.