Discussion

[madshutterbug]

Two quotes Quotes (from a posting thread on Flickr):
'An artist friend of mine told me years ago that no matter what you portray in a nude, the face is what makes it beautiful, sensual, erotic or interesting. Without the face there is no reference of pleasure, sadness, pain, or feeling. A nude needs a face.'

And in response: '...I agree. Most nudes tend to be either academic or pornographic without a face.' (name is redacted with the ellipsis)

Comments?

Comments

[firesmithsghost.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on the artist. But I disagree that any artwork missing a face has to be something other than beautiful. I will agree a woman's face is by far a better feature than those aforementioned, but we're speaking of art here, not women.

Venus without the face is still beautiful, but is no longer Venus, as we know.

A photo of a naked woman with her face hidden by shadow is a mystery, depending on the skill of the lens, and I think you could pull this off with great effect.