John F. Kennedy was elected in January 1961, and immediately promised to “get this country moving again” to American citizens. He took his position during the Cold War, and during his inauguration, around one million people stood in harsh temperatures to view their new President. Kennedy was a war veteran, and he knew that it was important for him to propose acts of sacrifice to citizens. This inspired many individuals as he attacked the grim reality of nuclear warfare head on, refusing to shy away from a hard topic. Kennedy was able to offer a sense of security, but also idealism, which assured citizens of our nation’s strengths of the time.  Great American Nude was crafted the year that J.F.K was elected, and Wesselman chose to include the president as he was very influential to citizens. Kennedy was also often referred to as handsome, further appealing to America’s libido during 1961. Due to his confidence and inspiration, he quickly became a major factor that represented the “Americana” that existed at the time. It is also known that the red lipstick used within this image is reoccurring throughout other artists works, such as Andy Warhol, during the time-period. This makes a connection to Marilyn Monroe’s use of sexual attraction to the known gaze of John Kennedy.

The reason that I offered that background concerning those three events is because it helps me to explain what Great American Nude #21 was doing socially when Tom Wesselmann created it.  The title itself embraces the era’s public spirit, and the painting consists of a pallet of bright reds, whites, and blues. Wesselmann included a familiar background, with the image taking place inside of a normal house in America, and he included a variety of fruits as well as a bottle of vodka. As mentioned earlier within the timeline, Wesselmann represented those products of mass consumption in a very realistic style, and this painting itself provided a view of the “familiar” privacy that exists in every American’s life. John F. Kennedy influenced the country when he was running to be and was eventually coined our president, and choosing to include him in a form of art that consists of other usage of everyday elements is the perfect example of Pop Art. The collaboration between Wesselmann, Warhol, and other Pop artists inspired a new wave of inspiration to flow through America, and this allowed many similar works to be created that displayed what it meant to be an American. The Neo-Dada Movement utilized unusual methods, popular imagery, collaborative juxtapositions, and an anti-establishment ethic that caused new forms of art to be created, with Pop Art sprouting from it.  Wesselmann utilized a higher amount of abstraction but less definition in Great American Nude #21 and other paintings that he created during the time. This painting is considered to be the changing point of the countercultural movement, as his nudes were rendered from everyday life, which is opposed to the use of collages of still-life aspects. He chose to use his girlfriend, Claire Selley, as his model for these paintings, and he claims that she sparked his sexual inspiration. He chose to leave the model’s face undetailed so that viewers wouldn’t claim it’s a portrait. Wesselmann’s reasoning for the blank face yet defined lips is to allow the painting to be left up to interpretation of the viewers themselves, allowing for endless salacious potential to sprout from it. He was able to display emotions that were directly influenced by Post-War America

Works Cited:

“John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address: Jan. 20, 1961.” Www.cbsnews.com, www.cbsnews.com/news/john-f-kennedy-inaugural-address/. Accessed 2 April 2023

“The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy | JFK Library.” Jfklibrary.org, 2009, www.jfklibrary.org/visit-museum/exhibits/permanent-exhibits/the-inaugura... 2 April 2023

‌

‌