Venus in the Dark

by Janell Hobson

ISBN: 9781138237629

Published: 2018-02-12

In this second edition of the remarkable, and now classic, cultural history of black women�s beauty, Venus in the Dark, Janell Hobson explores the enduring figure of the "Hottentot Venus" and the history of critical and artistic responses to her by black women in contemporary photography, film, literature, music, and dance. In 1810, Sara Baartman was taken from South Africa to Europe, where she was put on display at circuses, salons, museums, and universities as the "Hottentot Venus." The subsequent legacy of representations of black women�s sexuality�from Josephine Baker to Serena Williams to hip-hop and dancehall videos�refer back to her iconic image. Via a new preface, Hobson argues for the continuing influence of Baartman�s legacy, as her image still reverberates through the contemporary marketization of black women�s bodies, from popular music and pornography to advertising. A brand new chapter explores how historical echoes from previous eras map onto highly visible bodies in...