The Idealized Woman - A Look into the Culture of the 50's, and de Kooning's Woman, I

The End of WWII, and The Beginning of Consumerism

With World War 2 ending across the world, America itself began to have a social shift. Due to the great increase in wealth from the war, many Americans found themselves enjoying the benefits of new innovative technology and white collar jobs. This would in turn lead to a new wave of consumerism to take place across the country; people could spend more on luxuries and other nice things than they could before.

Out of the new technology manufactured, some of the most notable examples were househood appliances. New freezers, fridges and ovens were being developed, and to sell this idea of improved kitchenware, a new form of advertisement was manufactured. Women were encouraged to get these new appliances in a post-war world, and to shift from factory work to being devoted housewives. This drive to have women return to being submissive, family caretakers, while also maintaining a desirable image for men, would continue during the 50’s, and prove to influence much more than just the world of advertisements as time went on. Movies, music, and other forms of media would sell this idea of the idealized woman, and begin to set the standard for what was considered the norm for a woman to achieve, even if it was unrealistic.

https://americanhistory.si.edu/highlights-guide-consumer

Rise of the Pinup Girl

Originating from WWII, the pinup girl would go on to become more prevalent in 1950’s art and culture over time. While the original pinup was intended for soldiers and other war-stricken people as a boost in morale, the pinup girl would go on to gain a more sexualized reputation in the 50s. Appearing in everything from advertisements, to magazines, and to movies. These art pieces and photographs commonly featured a woman of average weight and height with an hourglass figure, posing in a way that, while not explicit, was meant to be sexual. In many cases, ‘pin ups’ were not considered traditional art, and in the minds of the art critics of the time these illustrations were considered cliché.
With this in mind, one can see how the popularity of pinups might have influenced Willem de Kooning’s Woman I. Whereas it was considered overdone to portray a nude woman as the center of one’s art piece, de Kooning subverts the standard expected by the viewer of the time period by picturing a woman as anything but dainty and desirable. For this reason, one could argue that de Kooning may have been both trying to reimagine the pinup, while also defending them by creating fine art of a woman during a time when doing such was considered overdone.

https://www.kingandmcgaw.com/inspiration/post/history-of-the-pin-up

Birth of Playboy

In 1953, the first issue of Playboy would be created and distributed. Focusing on nude photographs of women, the magazine viewed sex as a recreational activity. Playboy would go on to become incredibly popular, with many supporters and critics on both sides. Out of the first issue, one of the most iconic photograph sets were those of Marilyn Monroe’s nude images.
As the culture of America changed to become more sex-positive, and to drop the more rigid views on abstinence. On the other hand, the image of women was still very much influenced by the male gaze, and this in turn, combined with the societal norms expected of women, created an ‘ideal’ look aimed at women in the 50’s. By looking at Willem de Kooning’s piece, one can see the influence of this culture greatly.
Woman, I is posed as if on a magazine cover, though her hulking form and frightening face is meant to be a critique on the new culture of the time. Her smile resembles those of the women in advertisements of the 50s, and in truth de Kooning combines archetypical elements of pinup girls, paleolithic fertility goddesses and more. This piece celebrates the grotesque nature of humanity, rather than presenting an idealized object of a woman for the viewer.\

https://blog.singulart.com/en/2019/12/11/action-painting-and-willem-de-…