Naked Quote by John Berger
““To be naked is to be oneself. To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself. A naked body has to be seen as an object in order to become a nude. (The sight of it as an object stimulates the use of it as an object.) Nakedness reveals itself. Nudity is placed on display.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Ways of Seeing, 1972
Nudity and nakedness differ: nakedness is a natural state, while nudity is a socially constructed display that objectifies the body.
In simple terms: Nakedness is natural; nudity is a social objectification.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the distinction and challenge objectifying views.
Themes
body image
society
visibility
objectification
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
artistic
When to use this quote
- art criticism
- fashion industry
- media analysis
- personal boundaries
Key Concepts
phenomenology
social construct
visual culture
Questions to Reflect On
- When does nudity empower rather than objectify?
- How does cultural context shape perceptions of nakedness?
A Different Perspective
The concept may overlook contexts where nudity is empowering rather than objectifying.
![“[On refusing to do nude movie scenes:] There are certain people who should know what you look like naked. I just don't think your high-school algebra teacher should be one of them.” quote by Julia Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5cc/julia-roberts-2214_algebra_on-refusing-to-do-nude-movie-scenes-ther_58800.jpg)
![“The painting is always done very much with [the model's] co-operation. The problem with painting a nude, of course, is that it deepens the transaction. You can scrap a painting of someone's face and it imperils the sitter's self-esteem less than scrapping a painting of the whole naked body.” quote by Lucian Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d15/lucian-freud-12071_body_the-painting-is-always-done-very-much-wi_2407554.jpg)
![“I don’t think a naked body is particularly shocking or interesting. . . . It’s not the culture I was raised in. I was not brought up in the United States. I don’t share the [attitude] that you can have graphic violence, but — God forbid — you see someone’s nipples.” quote by Anna Paquin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/090/anna-paquin-12442_attitude_i-don-t-think-a-naked-body-is-particular_1925398.jpg)
![“There's the artist's intimacy and truthfulness to himself, but an equal intimacy to the Other [the one drawn]. Picasso drawings are like that... the Rembrandts are like that. The artist who most often did that was Van Gogh.” quote by John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d1/john-berger-1590_art_there-s-the-artist-s-intimacy-and-truthf_155171.jpg)
![“[Photographer Julian Wasser] had this great idea that I should play chess naked with Marcel Duchamp and it seem to be such a great idea that it was just like the best idea I'd ever heard in my life. It was like a great idea. I mean, it was - Not only was it vengeance, it was art, and it was, like…” quote by Eve Babitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/18d/eve-babitz-19835_art_photographer-julian-wasser-had-this-grea_14326.jpg)
