"Bare"-ing it all

The tableaux vivant was a shocking art form to learn about in this week's reading. I guess I have been living under a rock, because I really had no idea that people used to recreate portraits and statues of pieces of art trying to completely be "authentic" down to the costume, or lack there of. I was too surprised that this practice was something that came from the aristocracy and upper class society. I assumed that practices like this might have originated from the lower class and assumed that it would be another opportunity to exploit women, but this was not the case at all. The tableaux vivant seemed to truly be an art. It took skill and talent to recreate these works of art effectively and in a way that is "authentic." In the chapter we see the description of the famous tableaux artist, La Milo. Her performances were regarded so highly and reviews express that her name is synonymous with art. Again this whole practice seemed strange to me. Especially the glowing reviews of its practice. It does make me reconsider my own biases in this situation. When I think about a practice posing nude, it seems outrageous to me. It is probably because I would feel exploited or uncomfortable in my own skin if I was to be in this position. But, as we discussed in class there seem to be a difference of opinion about posing in the buff. Some women embrace the liberating feeling of having their body be the spectacle. Others may feel similar to me and may not enjoy their line of work. Either way, the performance practice has definitely trickled down into our society today and has influenced art of the 20th century and beyond.