Living with Art with Core Concepts CD-ROM v2.5 w/ Timeline

Rating:
Summary: Language and art beautifully intermingled
Review: This book is wonderfully written. Through its mastery of language and composition, as well as the fascinating illustrations and photographs, it has piqued my interest in art.

Rating:
Summary: Living with Art not being true to Rita Gilbert
Review: When I was in school taking Art History, there were no women artists to mentor me - none! I am so grateful there are some now however as I now teach Art History.

I have to tell you about my disappointment with this 7th edition. I'm not able to feel comfortable teaching both male and female students from this book anymore. You have been gradually making your "mark" by subtle and not so subtle changes of the last few editions but this one is particularly objectionable.

1) Why is Marie-Denise Villers (my slide says) (Constance Charpentier) on the cover? There is no relation to the text, there is no discussion of the image. Is it because she is "attractive"?
2) What is happening to the former women artist images? Are you "cleaning up" possibly more "direct" imagery by women artists? Do they make you or other male instructors uncomfortable discussing? (Artemisia, Judith Leyster, Morisat)
3) What is going on with the female nude? I am very uncomfortable with your replacement of the very influential La Grande Odolisques by Ingres with the Jupiter and Thetis image. I can discuss the dominance of the female object as significant subject but what is that other awful image? That to me is offensive.
4) Where has Rosa Boneur gone? Wasn't she famous enough for you? Put her back.

Here we have obviously run right up against the crux of the problem of a male art historian versus a female art historian. We do not perceive art history through the same lens. You do not see the huge significance that women do of the position of women historically in these cultures and the resulting use of women in art imagery. I do not want these issues swept under the art historical rug again!

By the way, how do you know about Monet's models' loose morals. Please read "Alias Olympia" by Eunice Lipton. She was a woman artist herself. Life drawing models do not have "loose morals"! Remember, you are teaching attitudes here. Your text implies that it is still there. Is it? Why?