The Awakening
Maurice Sterne
Circa 1926
The sculpture is of a nude woman with an athletic body type. She’s laying back with her stomach contracting. Her face is facing away from her audience, as if she is completely comfortable in her nudity, not afraid of any judgment that eyes may hold. While the front of her physique is clearly feminine, her back is very masculine and muscular. She is made up of dark bronze and has a smooth texture.
What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?
The contrast between masculinity and femininity. Her back is very broad to show that she puts in as much work as a stereotypical man would. However, because she is a woman, the part that people see are her feminine aspects, her sexuality. People do not appreciate the work she puts in.
What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?
Fairly Large which is not the average height of a woman.
Goddess (something to look up on)
What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?
Having the painting that was placed above it there showing the contrast of femininity.
Group Members
| Name (first and last) | Campus | Seminar 1 Professor |
|---|---|---|
| Lissaura Cabral | City College | Grazyna Drabik |
| Kristina Brown | City College | Grazyna Drabik |
| Fatiath Ibraheem, Lisyanna Bisono, Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe | City college of New York | Brandon judell |
| Madison Malone, Jdarlin Marte, Jaelis Burgos | City college of New York | Aaron Slodounik |
| Liana Ekmen | City college | Susanne Ziegler |
| Paula Swanzy | Lehman College | Alethea Pace |
