A Christian Perspective on Nudity in Art
Anna
Perspective on Nudity in Art.
http://www.accsedu.org/files/ARCHIVE%20Classis/2004%20CLASSIS/Jan04final.pdf
John is a Christian who enjoys the arts and finds them edifying. He is
particularly fond of the art of
painting. Desiring to expand his art history knowledge, he visits the
best, closest art museum he can
find. Going from gallery to gallery, John begins to become discouraged
and more than a little embarrassed
because of all the nudity shown in the paintings. He finds himself
wondering if he should leave the
museum in a state of disillusioned protest. As a Christian, John
understands the need to shun pornography; but
what he is seeing is not Hollywood at its X-rated worst, it is Western
Civilization. These are the paintings that
make up the canon of art. What is he — what are Christians — to do
with nudity as it is often shown in art?
To answer the overriding question, one must first understand the
difference between nudity and pornography.
Nudity is nothing more than a human figure without clothing.
There is no overt intention of sexual arousal. When nudity is used in
art, it is often (but not always) with the
goal of eliciting an admiration on the part of the viewer for the
handy-work of his Creator. The Greeks believed
that man was the measure of all things; as such they sought to find
the perfect human form and show it in their art.
The resulting nudes are not pornographic; rather, they are the
outworking of the Greek ideal. As Christians, we rightly reject their
philosophy, but we should not make the mistake of mislabeling their
art. There has been much written on the beauty of the human body and
it does not need be rehearsed here. It is clear that we are, indeed,
fearfully and wonderfully made. When an artist shows nudity with this
in mind, he is showing it to the praise and glory of the Creator.
Pornography, on the other hand, has sexual arousal as its sole
intention. It seeks to debase and lower both its subject, the person
being looked at, and its object, the person doing the looking, to the
level of mere animals. It is meant to feed our lusts, with the full
understanding that they can never be sated. Sexual lust — like all
other lusts — operates according to the Law of Diminishing Returns;
the more a person feeds his lust, the harder it is to get even
temporary satisfaction. This forces him to go back for increasingly
more and more stimulation until it is almost impossible to derive any
pleasure from his vice, no matter how much he indulges. It would be
irresponsible to say that no part of Western Art leans to the
pornographic side of things; for some of it does (much of Klimt,
Schiele, some Courbet, etc.); however, the difference is usually
reasonably obvious with sober thought (if it’s not, then the artist
has not done his job!).
There is also art that is quite charged with erotic content that
doesn’t show so much as an exposed
ankle. These paintings rely on context and subtlety to convey the true
meaning of the work. For example,
----
Article is really too long to post here. Please go to the article
yourself to read further.
http://www.accsedu.org/files/ARCHIVE%20Classis/2004%20CLASSIS/Jan04final.pdf
Zee
> An article by some guy about what he considers is a Christian
> Perspective on Nudity in Art.
>
>
> http://tinyurl.com/3wxcld
i would say this guy has a problem with lust.....talented artist do
not need shools and art museums to portray their craft....it is called
talent and ability....why go to the museums to check out what some one
else did....Christians i would think would resist the nudity in art
and not try to make nudity something that it is not....jz
David Looser
news:4fc4297a-5ecc-42a0...@s28g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
i would say this guy has a problem with lust.....
No Zee, YOU are the one with "a problem with lust", you are obsessed with
it.
> talented artist do
> not need shools and art museums to portray their craft....
ROFLOL! where do you suppose artists should go to learn their craft?, or
where should the great works of art from the past been placed so that the
public can see them?
> called talent and ability....why go to the museums to check out what some
> one
else did..
So you think all artists should work blind do you? never see and study the
works of the great artists of the past? Do you apply this principle to all
areas of life? Writers shouldn't read books by other writers, scientists
shouldn't study the scientific discoveries of the past, car designers
shouldn't see, or drive, cars designed by any body else.
Face it Zee, you are a philistine. You know nothing about art and care even
less. ALL you are interested in is sex.
> ..Christians i would think would resist the nudity in art
> and not try to make nudity something that it is not....
Again YOU are the one trying to make nudity something that it is not.
David.
Zee
wrote:
> "Zee" <jonZ...@webtv.net> wrote in message
did you get it all out of you....do you post in uk ngs with all this
hatred....or are you just a plain hate freak.....or typical
liberal....jz
David Looser
> did you get it all out of you....do you post in uk ngs with all this
> hatred....or are you just a plain hate freak.....or typical
> liberal....
Hatred? not a bit of it all chum. I don't hate you, you are *far* too
entertaining for that. I was merely pointing out that your comments on art
(a subject about which you clearly know absolutely nothing) were even more
than usually off-the-wall. Quite why you think that artists, unlike people
engaged in every other human activity, don't appreciate the opportunity to
learn from each other is just one more of the "Zee" mysteries.
David.
Zee
wrote:
> "Zee" <jonZ...@webtv.net> wrote in message
we have all with eyes have seen the works of talented artist create
works of art without ever being in a museum and only familiar with
what the public schools offer in this regard.....going to art schools
to draw or paint or sculpture the naked body is a waste.....yes the
physical world is different and needs labs and data to
experiment....but the art world is total
creativity ....rubens....abstract...modern is all copy cat.....doing
what everyone else is doing that is the result of the museums and
schools but the loner that puts his stuff on the sidewalk and just
does his own thing is the most impressive to me....he portrays what he
sees is worthy rather than what everyone else is doing.....of course
you are the typical socialist ...always trying to blend in.....even
being one of those trashy models....for sure you are going to say what
you say...no individualism in your life....but enjoy it but we all
know who you are.....jz
David Looser
> we have all with eyes have seen the works of talented artist create
> works of art without ever being in a museum and only familiar with
> what the public schools offer in this regard.....
We're not talking about people we know who can draw a bit, real talent
requires a lot of practice and effort to refine. And, yes, a lot of exposure
to the work of other artists. If you think otherwise then you are seriously
misinformed.
> and going to art schools
> to draw or paint or sculpture the naked body is a waste.....
Oh really?
> yes the
> physical world is different and needs labs and data to
> experiment....but the art world is total
> creativity ....
So what about writers, composers etc. Isn't what they do "pure creativity"?,
and do you expect them to be able to operate in ignorance of what the greats
have done before?
> rubens....
<quote>
In Antwerp, Rubens received a humanist education, studying Latin and
classical literature. By fourteen he began his artistic apprenticeship with
Tobias Verhaeght. Subsequently, he studied under two of the city's leading
painters of the time, the late mannerists Adam van Noort and Otto van
Veen.[2] Much of his earliest training involved copying earlier artists'
works, such as woodcuts by Hans Holbein the Younger and Marcantonio
Raimondi's engravings after Raphael. Rubens completed his education in 1598,
at which time he entered the Guild of St. Luke as an independent master.[3]
<unquote>
Your point?
> abstract...modern is all copy cat.....
You reckon?, have you actually *seen* any modern art?
> doing
> what everyone else is doing that is the result of the museums and
> schools
Just shows how little you know what you are talking about.
> but the loner that puts his stuff on the sidewalk and just
> does his own thing is the most impressive to me....he portrays what he
> sees is worthy rather than what everyone else is doing.....
Are you suggesting that pavement artists aren't *very* aware of what other
pavement artists are doing?, if so can you explain why it is that they all
tend to produce very much the same sort of thing?
> of course
> you are the typical socialist ...
I am? what is a "typical socialist"?
> always trying to blend in.....
ROFLOL! Isn't it you who keeps on about not offending against "community
standards"? (In other words trying to blend in).
> even
> being one of those trashy models....
Showing your ignorance again Zee!
> for sure you are going to say what
> you say...no individualism in your life....but enjoy it but we all
> know who you are.....
But you just claimed that I'm a "typical socialist", so obviously you have
no idea who I am.
David.
Zee
wrote:
> "Zee" <jonZ...@webtv.net> wrote in message
yeah....blending end to control evil is a necessity...but artistic
creation is not a necessity....those side walk artist do notice one
another but they are noticing the personal perspective.....not the
uniformity......jz
David Looser
> yeah....blending end to control evil is a necessity...
Pardon?? is there any meaning in those words? (isn't it about time you
learnt to write properly?)
> but artistic
> creation is not a necessity....
Creativity is what makes us human.
> those side walk artist do notice one
> another but they are noticing the personal perspective.....not the
> uniformity......
Have you actually ever seen any art, other than that by pavement artists? I
doubt it, otherwise you couldn't make nonsensical comments about
"uniformity"
David.
Mark
"David Looser" <david....@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:6jildtF...@mid.individual.net...
> I doubt it, otherwise you couldn't make nonsensical comments about
> "uniformity"
>
> David.
>
>
Hell, he'd be happier on the sidewalks and piazzas of any city than see the
classic art of somewher like Uffizi in Florence. (He'd probably think the
art was porn. I know anna would.)
Mark
Terry J. Wood
> Again YOU are the one trying to make nudity something that it is not.
Oh, he has help from a couple of his "friends". They've been trying for
YEARS to carry out this mission.
Bill S
artwork where the nude form is portrayed, the artist is in one way or
another, conveying God's creation. Even the pope, who speaks as God intends
said nudity is not sinful in the correct context.
Bill S in AZ
"Zee" <jon...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:4fc4297a-5ecc-42a0...@s28g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
Zee
> Not being a practicing Christian, I'd opine here that in all the classical
> artwork where the nude form is portrayed, the artist is in one way or
> another, conveying God's creation. Even the pope, who speaks as God intends
> said nudity is not sinful in the correct context.
> Bill S in AZ
>
>
> - Show quoted text -
well Bill....i think you along with hundreds of thousands of other
americans were smart enough to know this day would come simply by
observation of advertizements to buy buy buy...bad credit not a
problem...no payments for a year....and like the hundreds of other
thousands of folks...we are all gonna sit quietly and let em take all
that stolen money and buy their islands of personal safety or in other
countries that will put the rest of us in slavery by the ones that see
us totally helpless... because we never stole nothing and paid our
bills on time....and all the rhetoric about the POPE speakin of non
sinful nudity....and all the nude art displayed through eons of time
did not effect this process nor will it affect any thing good for
anyone while here on earth....so arguing who said what or did what
pertaining to nude human art display....has no value to help man
survive hunger ..or.need for shelter ...jz