Was nudity in art (Renaissance), depicted for reasons of innocently exploring human anatomy or lust?

Question

Art students, professors, and historians are encouraged to answer this question.

Answer 1

Christian distinctions between nudity and nakedness were complicated for Christians during the Renaissance just as they can be complicated for Christians today. Renaissance men admired the nude statues of ancient Greece and Rome -- were the nudes made by Renaissance artists just an example of Christians absorbing the cultural values around them?


Four types of nudity were acceptable to the church.

“Nuditas Virtualis” such as the young Baptist casting off his garments to demonstrate his abandonment of worldly goods, or “Nuditas Temporalis” conditional nudity as in the Susanna at the bath, “Nuditas Criminalis” in the expulsion from the Garden, or the drunkenness of Noah and “Nuditas Naturalis” as in the Creation of Adam and Eve, all took their proper place and role in church art.

Thus there are several reasons for depicting nude subjects in early Renaissance art.

Renaissance was a rebirth of ancient classical values and as Greco Roman art contained a great amount of nudity and idealization of the human form, it would follow that Renaissance depictions of classical iconography would be similar to the original.

Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus is a god example of this. Botticelli's depiction of the naked Venus is strikingly similar to a fresco of her in Pompeii which can be viewed to this day.
Botticelli's Birth of Venus (c1480), is a Christian, neoPlatonic Renaissance creation. Botticelli has chosen to show Venus, the beautiful goddess of love, as a parallel to God's love. She arrives unexpectedly (like God's love), without a cause (like God's love). As soon as she touches earth she must be clothed (as God came clothed in human flesh) so that she will not overwhelm the earth. Botticelli's Venus is nude, but chaste; beautiful, but not erotic or sexy.

Nudity could portray not only the ideal human form, but also innocence and faithful (in the religious sense) This is also known as the heroic form.

Michelangelo's David stands as a young Adam-like figure. He is the ideal human: he is resolutely ready to face Goliath not because he is armed, or strong, or wise, but because he is confident in the Lord. Michelangelo made David nude because such a nudity is an artist's way to show the perfect, the ideal human. It is sinfulness that makes us naked and ashamed -- clothes represent sinful humans.

3. Allegorical subjects were traditionally depicted as nude or semi naked so as to identify them as such.

Bronzino's Allegory with Venus and Cupid (National Gallery London) shows a small naked boy with flowers (Jest), a partially naked old woman (Jealousy) and the naked shoulders of the old man (Time). Venus and Cupid being mythological figures are naked. This particular painting I would say is rather erotic in nature as Venus has symbolically disarmed her son, Cupid and he is kissing her on the mouth and fondling her bare breast.

This is a start for you I hope it helps. This is a subject of great length so if you need any further information please ask.

Answer 2

You could make a strong case either way. What we know about the different artists of the period is that some were randy and some were innocents.

For innocencent art:

Artists had the best knowledge of anatomy and frequently performed dissections to understand the human body. It was only after the Renaissance that Surgery fell under science not art. So there was a motive for artists to innocently explore the human body to make better pictures. Once you have a dissected corpse you are probably less shocked by nudity.

The discovery of Roman and Greek statues was one of the motivators of the renaissance. The greek and roman statues were in the nude so artists followed the ancient tradition and undressed their models.

The religious themes, popular at the time, had hordes of unclothed religious characters in the garden of eden, doing dances of the 7 veils etc. Then you had the various saints who had died in the nude. These themes were church approved so in terms of accuracy you had to innocently paint nude figures.

Byzantine Art was so draped and wooden that the reaction against the style demamded flowing plastic nudes.

For Lust

Smut sold then as it does now. From the art that has survived nudity - innocent or not was in demand. The patrons set out their requirements and got what they asked for. An artist was more likely to sell a nude Salome than a draped St Ursula founding her convent.

Durer labelled some of his engravings lust pictures - no fussying about innocence with those.

For the rest of the artists you can go through their work and evaluate whether it was innocent or erotic. It's a tough call. The debate in the US supreme court over what was obscene went on for years. The best definition was "if more than half of the justices get a woody - then it is obscene." So how do you decide what is lusty or innocent?

Remember a huge number of fig leaves, drapes and strategic bushes were added later as censorship.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Was nudity in art (Renaissance), depicted for reasons of innocently exploring human anatomy or lust?
Art students, professors, and historians are encouraged to answer this question.

Answer 4

Nudity In Art

Answer 5

In the Renaissance period, almost all paintings were commissioned by patrons and the majority of the subject matter were religious iconography, antiquity, or portraiture. To get around the taboo subject of nudity for pure visual pleasure, patrons often requested imagery of antiquity such as Greek goddesses/soldiers in the buff. It is also true that artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were interested in the anatomical aspects of the figure in art, but their patrons often didn't share this perspective.

Answer 6

nudity in art circles is a form of expression and shows the beauty of the human form. Only those who think the human body is dirty and disgusting or those who associate nuidity with sex would actually object to nude art. Personally, I believe the body is beautiful and that people can be naked without there being sexual implications so bring on the art for me to admire.

Answer 7

We have to remember that UFO is just what the letters stand for Unidentified Flying Objects and of course throughout history (recorded or not) things have been seen and spoken of albeit put down to sorcery and witchcraft right to the sometimes faked sightings of today, in the past there were no cameras so where else than in art and so on.

Answer 8

It was because many of the artists wanted to copy classical Greek or Roman styles of art......The Renaissance could almost be considered Neo-Classical

Answer 9

Study of Nature: Nudity is the beauty of nature. If any one says different, they are blind to what real life is, and undermind the great artist of all times.

Answer 10

A bit of both, to be honest.