Does Fantasy Artwork Need to be so Damn Sexy?

For me fantasy is about heroes and villains, good against evil. Yet fantasy artwork is all about scantily clad women in very small and ill-fitting armour. Not that that is a bad thing and there is some very fine artwork in this vein. Boris Vallejo is a good example of this and I have to admit this video is very watchable.



I use artwork for inspiration and female characterisation is a distraction (for obvious reasons) rather than an inspiration. Yet many authors have written tales of beautiful women being rescued by some hero so clearly gorgeous, voluptuous women is a key to many tales, otherwise they might not be rescued. (Shrek being a notable exception :) ).

Today's fantasy seems to turn that on its head and an author needs to have as many female leads as male. Certainly many of  the fantasy artwork depict Amazons with spears and swords who seem vary capable warriors.

Myself, I still like artwork that inspires and the Tolkien artwork below does just that (and not a naked woman in sight).