I know you stopped look at my blog post because this picture intrigued you. Whether you liked it or not, it evoked an emotion. Sex sells, Walt Whitman and the creators of Commedia dell’arte knew that. Today boys as young as twelve years old spend hour a week watching pornography videos. The imagination of the young boys is filled, and inspired through these films. The films are not only an exposition unorthodox sexual positions and encounters of what these boys will never have , but they are a form of art. These films are viewed as despicable by many. Their crude and authentic nature draws millions of viewers to them, aside from their negative connotation. This art has enabled young boys to escape and feel free. People have always been oppressed throughout history, and expression frees the oppressed. Since the beginning of time, art has liberated the human soul. In response to the European political and economic crisis in the sixteenth century, a new form of theater known as Commedia Dell’arte arose. The majority of europeans were illiterate, poor, and hungry; they were starving for something. Theater fed their mind, body, and soul. Just as Commedia Dell’arte rose, Walt Whitman arose in a time of oppression.African American people in nineteenth century America were enslaved, discriminated against and treated as subordinate. A similar situation of oppression entrapped women and they faced the inability to work, vote, and have a voice in society: Slaves and women were viewed and treated as property of the white man. Whitman’s famous “Song of Myself,” declares equality for everyone, including blacks and women; the powerful words of Whitman inspired millions. Whitman appealed to the common man. These forms of art were viewed by many as crude and un-tasteful. The crude and authentic nature of Walt Whitman’s poetry, and Commedia dell'arte plays revolutionized the art world.
Whitman spoke freely of not only naked bodies, but men’s naked bodies in his “Song of Myself.” He embraces the natural and undisguised qualities of man naked. Whitman writes: “Twenty-eight young men bathe by the shore,/ Twenty-eight young men and all so friendly; / Twenty-eight years of womanly life and all so lonesome”(Whitman,Canto 11). Whitman applauses nudity and fraternity alongside each other, something unheard of in his time period (Whitmanarchive.org). Whitman’s exposure of man’s nudity and fraternity awakened visual artists of his time period to explore sexuality. Thomas Eaken’s painting The Swimming Hole depicts six naked men in a pond together. The swimming hole can be a twenty first century depiction of guys in a locker room. These men are unbothered by the nakedness of the others, and they embrace their natural form. The men aren’t viewed as gay because they are showing together, but they are seen as “bros.” Manly love and sexuality in the painting is conveyed in a way similar to Whitman’s poetry; in the piece, each man basks and embraces his nakedness.
Similarly, Commedia Dell'arte exposure of sex, lust, and womanhood inspired other visual artists to explore sex and the female body. The 15th century’s Commedia dell’arte was one of the first art forms in Europe to portray themes of lust and embrace sex as a natural occurrence. This belief was heinous to the church, and its beliefs on celibacy and purity (Theatrehistory.com). The church had the same, if not more, power than the monarchs in the 15th century.The church forbade people from attending theatre, and it often banned shows for being immoral. Commedia’s sexual nature inspired many erotic, shirtless paintings of women in the fontainbleau. One of which include the painting Gabrielle d'Estrées et une de ses soeurs. The painting depicts two naked women in the bath; one is pinching the nipple of the other. If it were in our times, it would basically translate as two girls at a sleepover kissing a girl for the first time out of curiosity. French historian Pierre de Bourdeille adds that the women “touch,feel, handle, stoke, intertwine, and fondle with each other” (Lives of Friars & Gallant Ladies). The painting, by some, is viewed as homoerotic. In the 19th and 20th centuries this painting was used to illustrate lesbianism for the LGBT community. Historians and critics often acknowledge its homoeroctism. Whitman’s and Commedia’s lustful and crude style illustrated to other artists that sex was ok! It was really something that everyone did! It is how human exist, that is how humans are created: sex!
Did you know that women and men were equal? Did you know that blacks and whites are equal? You are so much more advanced than people in Whitman's era and people in the fifteenth century! The plays of Commedia de’ll arte illustrated equality and further opened the artistic community’s eyes to acceptance of others. Historically, the white man’s domination of earth, left blacks and women as inferior. Women and blacks were not even considered in the United States Constitution, the United States “the land of the free,” did not genuinely let their people free. Women were bound to the house, and slaves were bound to the plantations. Commedia’s acceptance of women on the stage remains as its boldest attribute Prior to Commedia, men would portray female characters on stage with the belief that women were inadequate for acting. Men would overplay women’s sexuality and use fake boobs. With women on stage, women could go a step further and show real cleavage!In Commedia, women played alongside men. This was the first time in theatre where women proved their capabilities equal to men’s. Isabella Andreini was one of the most famous female actresses of her time; she and her husband owned the most popular Commedia troupe throughout Europe (Humanracetheatre.org). Her fame showed young girls within all of Europe that a woman could accomplish anything; a woman could own the most influential troupe to walk the earth. Isabella Andreini was a pre-twentieth century Audrey Hepburn! Commedia revolutionized theatre, and soon after more women began to become more involved in the arts.
I know that most high school students dreaded chemistry: the sight of the test tube, the smell of the goggles used and abused by hundreds of other oily-skinned students. Whitman was pretty advanced at science, and he used his chemistry knowledge to his advantage. Whitman was one of the first poets to freely speak his mind. Instead of writing, “Yeah, Blacks are kind of good, they are kind of like me. We should kind of free them.” He wrote “for every atom belonging to me as good as belongs to you,” ---The guy would've certainly gotten a higher grade than I did in chemistry--Whitman clearly declares all of God’s creatures perfect, and all of them equal(Whitman, Canto 1). Whitman was so straightforward that instead of writing “Yeah, women are kinda cool. They have nice body parts, and they’re nice to look at. They are almost as good as me, but…,” Whitman clearly writes “I say it is as great to be a women as to be a man.” Whitman’s honesty and straightforwardness made most abolitionist poets look like they were dancing around the subject. There were few men during Whitman’s era who spoke out against sexism. Whitman proudly declared women’s equality. Tons of critics bashed Whitman's work, and he would be considered a twenty-first century Nicki Minaj with all of the disgrace he received. Whitman, like Minaj held his head up high and kept on doing what he loved. Whitman was bold in writing explicitly about man and women’s bodies, but he did it because he thought it was right. The man believed that all of God’s creatures were beautiful regardless of color; whether they were “Red, yellow, white, gree, or violet.” Each person’s unique qualities, to Whitman, was made for a purpose, and he believed that embracing these qualities would strengthen the human. Commedia’s bold casting of women in plays and Whitman’s praising of blacks and women illustrated equality and opened the eyes of others.
Through authenticity, boldness, and crudeness Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” and Commedia dell'arte performances were able to similarly make a lasting impact upon their societies. The sight of a women on stage excited men-- most likely the sight of a woman other than their wife was what really excited them. Women on the stage inspired other women and young girls; they were the symbols of girl power! Themes of sex, nudity, equality, and greed were demonstrated in these works. Whitman and Commedia's creation of new art form created an authentic and intoxicating product. People were drawn to the poems and the plays, just like young boys are drawn to their computer screens and porn subcriptions. By embracing the human’s carnal desires, millions of eyes were opened, people were like "Oh my god, sex is totally natural and I shouldn't be ashamed of my body." Whitman inspired others to embrace others, despite their visible differences. Commedia inspired others to look beyond the church and other high powers, and look to oneself to figure out who they truly were. Commedia plays showed the world that women were capable of everything a man was, and in its time period enabled women to take more steps to affirming their equality. Whitman’s powerful and straightforward wording in free-verse showed the world that one could speak his mind freely; even a common man. The change from strict literate poetic end rhymes and other poetry normalities were immediately changed, and whitman’s natural free-flowing verses enthralled society. Commedia and Whitman together taught humans that sex was a natural action performed by humans, and it was not to be shamed. Commedia and Whitman inspired thousands of artists to go beyond their comfort zone and explore man and women; humans are meant to inspire, create and learn. Through art and influential pieces, human development has been able to continue. Authenticity has liberated man and woman and enabled them to inspire.
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