Naked or Nude? 

      In the ways of seeing John Berger states ““To be naked is to be oneself.
To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself.” After having read that piece by Berger I fully understand his point of view and think it speaks with great validity. Being naked is in a sense barbaric. Someone simply going to take a shower or sleeping naked is just a naked body. Naked bodies are all around us, whether it is our kids running around naked, or being around a loved one who is comfortable enough to be naked around us. However, Nude is often related to art. In a nude photograph or painting, it a still shot of a person who is naked. The body is in a sense being used as a subject of art to reveal an emotion, to relate the viewer, and/or to being notice to something. The difference between naked and nude is to me as apparent as the different between an artist and an artiste. For example, if we walk into a person’s home for the first time and were to see a naked woman sitting in the living room we would feel awkward or feel that it is inappropriate. Yet, many sculptures or paintings out on the streets of Italy or in living rooms are of naked bodies and we don’t find that nudity to be inappropriate because we see it as a piece of art that represents more than just a simple naked body.