Ste. Sebastienne
This large drypoint print by Bourgeois depicts the partial figure of a female form being shot with arrows in a minimalist approach that illustrates the figure as only lines (without shading). There is no background to visually contextualize the figure, the only context is the reference to the iconography of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian through the title and the arrows. Though the depiction of the subject is minimalist, the sexualized nature of the form is apparent in the very construction of the composition. In accordance with the article "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", the fragmentation of the female form contributes to the sexual objectification of women, which is apparent in this print where the obviously feminine form is missing a head and arms (Mulvey, 1988). Like in the novella, Venus in Furs written by von Sacher-Masoch, the statuesque nature of the pose and the fragmentation add to view of the female figure and the character Wanda (she is not actually fragmented into parts like the print, but instead described in parts) as art objects to be viewed as sex objects (2000).
The linework that implies three-dimensional form in the place of shading accentuates curves of the body that results in an exaggerated female form. In contrast to other depictions of St. Sebastian where his expression juxtaposes ecstasy with the gore of his torture, this rendition omits any blood or facial expression that would signal pain or ecstasy. These omissions emphasize the female form as a sexualized object and less of a person.
Paralleling the pain of St. Sebastian's "pin-cushion" wounds from arrows and adapting them to a female figure, the piece introduces interesting questions about the experience of pain from both a male and female perspective. As suggested by the artist, the arrows pointing at the body could be interpreted as societal pressures or opinions typically directed at females, particularly in the stomach, breasts, hips, and genitals. A study found that women who watched a gender-stereotyped visual distraction (a romantic love scene) experienced greater levels of pain than those who just had a visual distraction. Interestingly, male's perception of pain decreased when they watched a stereotypically male scene (an ultimate fighting video) (Blacker et al., 2006). If the arrows are interpreted as stereotypical critiques of the feminine form, Ste. Sebastienne may be feeling more pain from them than St. Sebastian would have.