(Untitled)

[greyeyedminerva]

"The column behind Polyphemus and the fanning, slightly cavernous rock behind Galatea are not just allusions to the respective sexual organs of the male and female figures, they also relate to the gaze of the spectator in contrasting ways and so sexualize that gaze."- W. Fitzgerald, Catullan Provocations 145, on a set of ancient Roman wall

Comments

[happymartian]

At the risk of increasing the "ugh," I think he's on about this. *shudder*

[greyeyedminerva]

Yeah, I did look up the paintings when I started reading the chapter... I have to say that that was not my first thought on seeing the giant pillar. Which, I suppose, is why I don't really do feminist criticism.

[happymartian]

OK, I read that book for my Catullus seminar and I'm not sure "feminist criticism" is what you want. "Crackpot criticism" is more like it. Ugh! (brought to you by the traumatic seminar paper on Catullus and the gaze that I can slowly talk about again. The things one does for a degree...)

[greyeyedminerva]

Yiecks. Only read the chapter relevant to Catullus 64 - glad to know the rest of it is just as nuts. 'Spose he did warn us by calling it 'Catullan Provocations.'
Stuff on 'the gaze' sounds cool to me in principle but often seems to turn out a bit crackpot.