According to Lindquist, nudity denotes the state of having no clothes covering one’s part of the whole body. From a visual culture perspective, nudity refers to a situation in which visual artists deliberately portray the human body without clothing. Since ancient times, nudity has remained a critical facet of art and a rather unusual way of conceptualizing, expressing, and understanding profound messages, opinions, and insights concerning culture, society, life, and other aspects. Despite its remarkable resilience, nudity in visual culture did not emerge in its present form but evolved and transformed across centuries.
As most studies suggest, nudity is among the primary features of Western art. Although nudity is considered normal and natural, humans often undress in their lives; nudity in visual culture disconnects from the essential purposes of undressing to reflect on intricate issues concerning cultural traditions, philosophical concerns, and formal ideals (Lindquist). In this sense, nudity was among the key factors that revitalized artistic creativity during the Renaissance and preceding centuries.
Although some critics associate nudity with Renaissance humanism and art, historical studies suggest that nude art first gained relevance in ancient Greece. During this time, most Greek societies featured sports competitions and religious feasts that exclusively glorified the nakedness of the male human body (Osborne). In such contests, competitors participated nude, and society perceived them as a perfect definition of humanity. In this way, the Greek culture associated male nudity with multiple values like morality, excellence, strength, and glory, all portrayed in ancient Greek sculptures. Throughout ancient Greece, images and statues of nude male athletes depicted gods and notable personalities of the Hellenistic religion. Observably, such glorification of male nudity differed from societies that associated undressing with shame and defeat. For instance, in Christian communities, nudity was linked to the unforgettable experience in which Adam and Eve (the first humans) sinned, realized their nakedness, and consequently suffered God’s punishment (Rowley).
Unlike male nudity, which stemmed from the seemingly perfect male athlete, female nudity in ancient Greek art drew from a different perspective that resonated with procreation and fertility. For instance, most fertility gods in Greek religion like Aphrodite/Venus were portrayed nude in images and sculptures. Notably, such depiction reflected pride, continuity, procreation, and eroticism. Even though most Greeks preferred a clothed Aphrodite, Praxiteles made a nude version called the Knidian Aphrodite. Unlike the preceding Greek fertility deities, the Knidian Aphrodite had a less bulbous stature, and her body features were mathematically rational. Again, Praxieteles work inherently depicted Aphrodite in what seemed like a relatively erotic pose with one of her hands covering her body (Walker). Praxiteles cleverly crafted the carriage to shield Aphrodite from exposing her nakedness to the viewers. Although the Knidian Aphrodite was not preserved like other iconic works, it redefined female nude art manifested in different societies.
Even as nudity in art spread from ancient Greece and became integral to Western and contemporary visual culture, the most prominent question and controversy rest in its meaning. As some scholars suggest, nude art is complex because it primarily seeks to appreciate and admire the human body while at the same time neglecting some crucial facets of humanity, like variety. Again, nude art has sex appeal, although it is primarily not meant to evoke or engage too much with sexuality. Generally, such complexity intends to captivate the viewer’s mind and passions.
Smithies asserted that there are two critical standpoints concerning nudes in art. The first perspective perceives nudes in art as offensive and embarrassing. Such art should be hidden or censored to save society from its negative influence and implications. Observably, people with such beliefs associate nudity in art with extreme acts like pornography. This context infringes on other people’s privilege to express and consume art in its raw form. As Ferenc pointed out, there are various reasons why nudes in the art are different.
Firstly, nudity in art portrays various emotions, including desperation, anguish, dismay, and power. More importantly, nudity expresses movement, which makes art more lively and relatable to real life. For instance, ancient Greek artists made sculptures with exposed bodily features such as strong and muscular arms and legs, ribbed abdomen, and bulging veins to portray movement. Besides, such nudity describes the emotional situation of the characters (Smithies). As one of the most famous sculptures made in ancient Greece, the Lacoon Group shows how the artist employed nudity to bring out the emotions of Laocoon and his sons as they struggled to disentangle themselves from a serpent. In this piece, the sculptor used bare bodies to depict pain, strife, and misery. Similarly, other artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci employed nudes to show emotions, thoughts, and feelings in their works to inspire viewers on various religious issues (Lindquist).
Besides, nudes in art were a part of portraying an artist’s skills in painting and sculpture (Martin). Even though nudity in art initially glorified the male identity, it later became an integral part of art training. In this sense, artists had to study and understand the human body to perfect their knowledge and craft. Both Da Vinci and Michelangelo perfected their skills by dissecting and analyzing the internal structure of the human body. For instance, Michelangelo’s illustration of God’s neck in the Sistine Chapel has continuously captivated viewers and artists worldwide as it inherently resembles the human brain stem.
Moreover, nudes in art depicted virtues in ancient mythology and religions. For instance, in ancient Greek art, male deities were painted and carved nude with bulging masculine physiques to symbolize bravery, power, and courage (Martin). Borrowing from this tradition, Michelangelo painted the Last Judgment with Jesus Christ as a masculine figure standing at the centre of the universe. While male nudes represented the virtues stated above, female nudity symbolized fertility, beauty, and life. Such values are observable in the Knidian Aphrodite made by Praxiteles and the frescoes painted by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.
In addition to the reasons stated above, nudity in art transcends the boundaries set by clothing in art. In this sense, a nude art piece remains relevant and timeless because its contents do not represent a particular historical period or context. For instance, Michelangelo’s nude paintings in the Sistine Chapel and especially The Last Judgment mean a time in the future that does not conform to fashion and clothing.
Again, like nature, the human body is complex and adopts different shapes and forms for diverse reasons. As some scholars suggest, nudity in art plays a crucial role in restoring the proper understanding and meaning of the human body (Heywood). For centuries, society has distorted the concept of the human body with clothing and other modifications meant to enhance beauty. In this case, nudity in art allows viewers to conceptualize the human body as beautiful, ugly, uneven, free, subjugated, innocent, and lustful. This way, viewers can understand and relate art to their experiences, feelings, and beliefs. Lastly, and as most people perceive it, nudity instils shock value. Unlike conventional art, nude art attracts much wider attention and criticism, which projects and engraves the artist’s message in the viewer’s mind. For instance, Michelangelo’s nude art on the Sistine Chapel ceilings gained timeless publicity because it contrasted with the Catholic Church’s stand on nudity. Regardless of the intention and value of nudes in art, extensive studies suggest it depends on the intended audience, the relationship between the nude subject and the viewers, and the link between the artiste, the nude subject, and the audience.
The Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment
Undoubtedly, Michelangelo’s works on the Sistine Chapel ceilings remain among human history’s greatest works of art. Despite their unparalleled magnificence, Michelangelo’s paintings on the Sistine Chapel equally shocked and offended viewers due to what seemed like excessive use of nude art. As Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he knew that the Pope and other personalities were increasingly aware of his intentions to use nude art. In this sense, Michelangelo remained challenged and determined to accomplish his purpose despite the criticism (Testa). At one time, Michelangelo told off the Pope when he proposed tidying up the paintings.
More than 20 years after Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he returned and painted The Last Judgment on the altar wall, which turned out to be the most controversial painting in the history of visual culture. Similar to its name, The Last Judgment differed from all other frescoes in the Sistine Chapel because it portrayed the future in an inevitably bizarre and unusual way. In this painting, Michelangelo envisioned the return of Jesus Christ on judgment day and the separation of souls, with some ascending to heaven and others descending to damnation. Throughout the detailed painting, Michelangelo used nude figures to portray Christ, angels, demons, martyrs, saints, people, specific personalities, and himself.
According to Tilmans, Michelangelo painted The Last Judgment at the peak of his powers. The detailed painting consisted of numerous nude figures arranged carefully over, beside, and under Jesus Christ, who took the centre position. Besides Him, the Virgin Mary poses with one arm open to show her appreciation of the judgment, while below, some wingless angels summon the dead to ascend to heaven from their earthly graves. As Michelangelo portrayed in the Last Judgment, the rising figures represent the elect who rise to heaven as they shed their earthy burial attires while being assisted by muscular angels. One couple in the picture hung onto a rosary as an angel pulled them up to heaven. This illustration contravened protestant doctrines, which emphasized the importance of faith and good works rather than religiosity as the way to salvation (Tilmans).
On Christ’s left, demons violently drag the condemned souls to hell while angels prevent some souls from attempting to escape damnation. Although such souls symbolize humans, Michelangelo figuratively used them to depict different sins. For instance, the sin of pride is seen trying to fight his way into heaven while greed tries to buy his way into salvation (Schnelmann). Below, Charon, the Greek, ferries souls of the underworld. Among the damned souls, Michelangelo painted a donkey-eared Minos with a serpent biting his genitals to depict his wickedness. In Christ’s company, there are saints, apostles, martyrs, and the elect. Notably, John and Peter stand beside Jesus. Peter, the first Pope, hands over the keys of heaven to Jesus Christ, symbolizing that his work as the first Pope had ended. Over and above Christ, angels bear the cross and other instruments to celebrate Christ’s triumph and sacrifice.
After the Last Judgment was unveiled, notable personalities from the Roman Catholic church praised Michelangelo for devoting his time to painting a masterpiece that did not exist anywhere else worldwide. Concerning nudity, Michelangelo was hailed for painting the elect with strong and visibly muscular bodies to affirm the Catholic belief that the dead in Christ shall resurrect and ascend to heaven with their healthy bodies on Judgment Day (Schnelmann). On the other hand, other people were offended by the nude illustrations of crucial body parts like the genitals and buttocks. In this sense, they accused Michelangelo of using the painting to demonstrate his artistic skills rather than convey the intended message. Such critics included Biagio da Cesena and Pietro Aretino, whom Michelangelo later had in the painting. After Michelangelo passed on, The Last Judgment’s controversy escalated to a point where The Pope instructed various artists like Daniele da Volterra to cover specific areas in the painting to censor the nudity. As per the instructions, Volterra used loincloths and fig leaves to cover the nude bodies and repainted some figures like St. Catherine (Tilmans). Even though the artworks on the Sistine chapel led to controversy and divided opinion concerning nudity in religious art, scholars assert that Michelangelo’s work was for a restricted and knowledgeable audience. Michelangelo used nudity throughout the frescoes to represent the truth in sacred history from creation to the final Day of Judgment. As an eventful journey, Michelangelo could not have painted any better without using nudity – a skill he had mastered well in his days.
Works Cited
Ferenc, Tomasz. “Nudity, Sexuality, Photography. Visual Redefinition of the Body.” Qualitative Sociology Review 14.2 (2018): 96-114.
Heywood, Emmy. “We Keep Art.” VOICESof usu (2020): 161.
Lindquist, Sherry CM, ed. The meanings of nudity in Medieval art. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2012.
Martin, Thomas. “The nude figure in Renaissance art.” A companion to Renaissance and Baroque art, edited by B. Bohn and JM Saslow. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons (2013): 402-21.
Osborne, Robin. “Men without clothes: heroic nakedness and Greek art.” Gender & History 9.3 (1997): 504-528.
Rowley, Roger. “The changing depiction of the nude.”
Schnellmann, Ana. “Michelangelo’s Last Judgement: A Crisis of Conscience.” (2015).
Smithies, Kathryn. “The Meanings of Nudity in Medieval Art by Sherry CM Lindquist, ed.” Parergon 30.1 (2013): 256-258.
Testa, Judith. “23 The Sistine Chapel.” Rome Is Love Spelled Backward. Cornell University Press, 2021. 177-182.
Tilmans, Karin. “Michelangelo: A Tormented Life.” (2011): 577-579.
Walker, Paige. “Genital depilation and power in classical Greece.” Berkeley Undergraduate Journal of Classics 1.1 (2012).
