I recently noticed that a few houses down from me, a neighbor had added a human male statue next to their mailbox. I think one of the dumber ideas that humans came up with around 1530 was to add a fig leaf to ancient and Renaissance sculpture to cut down on nudity in art. Even before that, when the Roman Empire converted to Christianity, heroic nudity disappeared from Roman art and in the middle ages only the damned were usually shown nude. Note- I'm paraphrasing from wikipedia which I used to refresh my aging memory on this subject. How humans can be so silly about the human form is beyond me. I think my neighbors use of a nude with the fig leaf is a joke and lets face it this is a cheap plaster garden copy not an original or even a good reproduction of a work of art. Even so, I have the impulse to go down with a chisel and remove the fig leaf, sort of the opposite of the trend of adding fig leafs that went on in the 1500s. However, I bet money that if I removed the fig leaf I wouldn't find an anatomical correct human male underneath. I do like the hand painted flowers on the mailbox and I'm pretty sure they include pistils and stamens. For that matter I think the fig leaf guy is fairly hilarious once I fall off my soap box.
15 comments:
Welcome to Carver!
I like figure.
This miniature Apollo Michelangelo in Florence. Greetings from far away Polish.
Lucia
It is a bit ridiculous when you think about it. I doubt if Michelangelo thought his sculpture was indecent. The human form is beautiful...as seen in the wonderful display of talent during the Olympics. Although, I'm not sure the full monty needs to be a mailbox accessory! Seems there would be better places for it...like in a garden?
I do agree the statue would be much more appreciated in a garden, rather than hitchhiking out by the curb! With his fig leaf.......!
I love Hildred's comment about hitchhiking out by the curb with his fig leaf.
Better by far in the garden...
Lots of silly here -- silly to add the fig leaf, silly to put it out by the mailbox. But it would make me laugh too. Hildred is absolutely right (as she always is!)
Thanks for making me smile, Carver!
I saw "David" in Florence and was blown away by its beauty!
Leslie
abcw team
this is acquired taste i think.
frankly my dear
Well...there you have it.
We passed a house in the L.A. area that had about 10 repros of this statue in their front yard without fig leaves....
I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED, I say, by the lack of nudity on the statue!
ROG, ABCW
I couldn't agree more!
A great write with a great(point of) view!
http://amitaag.blogspot.in/2014/03/harmony.html
Ilove much this Apollo from
Michelangelo in Florence,all a epoque; have a nice day.
Lol.. what an idea this is.. that fig leaf sure is hilarious. And the picture of you going at it with a chisel.. even more so. Gald you decided to let it be :-)
Guess I'm confused, why have a statue like that and then have the fig leaf. Just don't have a statue at all.
Ann
Kudos for your post! I couldn't agree more with you. Some people have huge issues concerning the himan anatomy, and get offended by the sight of body parts like genitalia (not to mention female nipples! The horror, the horror!!).
I always hated those damn fig leaves too. :P
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