The backs of painters and philosophers

The human body is often celebrated by philosophers: standing (Aristotle, Leroi-Gourhan), body structure (Descartes, Hegel), the face (Levinas), the hand (Aristotle, Focillon), the eye (Hans Jonas), the agility of limbs (Rousseau).

But no philosopher celebrates the back, no one sees it. The back is forgotten in philosophies of the body. Plastic representations of the back go further than philosophers' concepts. Painters, draughtsmen, sculptors, photographers and filmmakers show the body from behind and, what's more, the back itself. These "views of the back" distance us from our spontaneous representations, awakening our thoughts.

Bernard Sève is Professor Emeritus of Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art at the University of Lille. His research and work focus mainly on the philosophy of music, literature and general aesthetics. He is also a specialist in Montaigne and author of the catalog Vu[e]s de dos, une figure sans portrait.