ABSTRACT

This chapter explores the interplay between gender as an active and negotiable identity and the artistic representation of gendered human bodies. In works of art, and in particular in works of art which have been commissioned, as was the case with those which are the focus of this chapter, the potential role of material culture in controlling, maintaining and transforming social relations increases dramatically. This is because of the conscious nature of the signification involved, making the art laden with intentionality. In this chapter we consider the role of art in the structuring and negotiation of gender relations in Iberian society. We focus on a specific set of works of art particularly relevant to the study of the representation and negotiation of gender: representations of the human body.