The female body has always been a central subject in art, but the way it has been represented has changed dramatically over time. From being cast as a passive object of the male gaze to becoming a symbol of resistance and empowerment, the body in feminist art tells a story of shifting power, identity, and self-expression.
Today, in wall art prints and posters, we can still trace these shifts: surreal figures, symbolic portraits, and bold reinterpretations of femininity that reclaim what was once objectified and turn it into a space of agency.
From Muse to Object
For much of art history, women were depicted as muses, not makers. Their bodies were painted to embody ideals of beauty, fertility, or seduction—often defined by male artists for male audiences. Renaissance nudes, Baroque Venuses, and Romantic odalisques all framed the female body as something to be looked at, rather than a subject with its own voice.
See my female portrait art poster "SINNER"
This dynamic created what theorist Laura Mulvey later described as the “male gaze”—the way visual culture frames women as objects of desire, reinforcing power structures rather than challenging them.
The Breakthrough of Feminist Art
By the 1960s and 70s, artists began to fight back. The rise of feminist movements transformed how women saw themselves and how they wanted to be represented.
Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” (1974–79) celebrated women’s history through symbolic, bodily imagery.
Carolee Schneemann used performance art to reclaim eroticism on her own terms.
Ana Mendieta merged her body with natural elements to explore identity, belonging, and trauma.
These artists rejected the passive role of the muse and made the female body an active subject—expressive, political, and personal.
Symbolism and Surreal Figures
Feminist art also embraced symbolism and surrealism to go beyond literal representation. The female body was reimagined as fragmented, hybrid, or merged with plants, animals, and cosmic elements.
This symbolic language allowed artists to break away from stereotypes and explore deeper meanings: the body as landscape, as vessel, as site of transformation.
In this sense, contemporary surreal wall art prints and symbolic female portraits continue this legacy. By blending the body with botanicals, faces, or mystical motifs, they highlight both the vulnerability and the power of femininity.
From Objectification to Empowerment
The shift in representation is not only aesthetic but deeply cultural. Where women were once confined to narrow ideals of beauty, feminist art opened space for multiplicity.
The female body can now be:
Political, embodying protest and defiance.
Personal, reflecting lived experience and identity.
Archetypal, carrying myths of creation, power, and resilience.
This transformation shows how art can change the way society views women—and how women view themselves.
My Work: Female Portraits as Symbols
In my own art practice, I approach the female body through symbolic surrealism. My portraits of women are often entwined with plants, mystical shapes, or abstract forms.
They are not passive objects but active figures: guardians, dreamers, rebels. A surreal female face surrounded by florals may represent both fragility and strength. A symbolic hybrid may question identity and transformation.
When printed as wall art posters, these works are meant to offer viewers not just beauty but also empowerment—a reminder that the female body is never one-dimensional.
Why This Matters Today
The relevance of feminist art is stronger than ever. In a world where women’s bodies are still politicised, commodified, or controlled, art becomes a powerful medium of resistance.
Choosing to live with feminist-inspired wall art is more than a design decision. It is a statement of values: to celebrate women as creators, thinkers, and subjects of their own stories.
A Body Reclaimed
The journey of the female body in art—from objectification to empowerment—shows how representation can shape reality. By reclaiming their image, women have reclaimed power.
Through symbolic female portraits, surreal figures, and feminist wall art prints, this legacy continues. To hang such a piece in your home is to embrace art not only as decoration, but as a reminder of strength, identity, and resistance.
