Sexual Controversy

Starting with the Ancient Greeks, nudity and sexuality has always been a traditional part of art. However, there has always been a fine line between acceptable and scandalous art. After the Ancient Greeks and Romans, nudity in art became existinct due to strict religious censorship. However, during the Renaissance, artists began to study more Greek and Roman art, and nudity became a part of art once again. However, some of these pieces, in people's minds, crossed the line in terms of acceptance in the public. These pieces drew controversy for their sexual nature.

Warning: Some of the pieces below contain graphic nudity. Viewer discretion advised.

Caravaggio, Sick Bacchus - 1593

Caravaggio was a famous early Baroque artist, well known for his extreme use of color and tenebrism, the stark black background often characterizing his works, painted this in 1593 using an oil on canvas method. The piece depicts the pagan Roman deity Bacchus, who was the god of wine and sexual liberation. Interestingly, Caravaggio chose to depict Bacchus as a person inflicted with the sexually transmitted disease syphilis. At the time, syphilis was running rampant, and Caravaggio himself was afflicted with the disease due to his active sexual life. Thus, this piece also serves as a self portrait of Caravaggio. This piece also caused controversy because Caravaggio had murdered one of his lovers and thus spent the rest of his life fleeing authorities.

Diego Velazquez, Rokeby Venus - 1647-1651

One of the only surviving examples of female nudes by Spanish artist Diego Velazquez, The Rokeby Venus was controversial because of Church disapproval. It depicts Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, laying nude on a bed with her back turned towards the viewer. Her son, Cupid, holds up a mirror for Venus to look at both herself and the viewer. The piece was first displayed in 1651 in a private session for the Marques del Carpio; it was viewed in private to avoid censorship from the Spanish Inquisition. The piece’s conflict with the Catholic Church was what created the controversy.

Francisco Goya, The Nude Maja - 1799

The Nude Maja is a painting by the Romantic artist Francisco Goya. Commissioned by Manuel de Godoy, The Nude Maja depicts a young woman reclining nude on pillows. The controversy came in the fact that this nude woman is gazing without shame at the viewer. This is unusual for the time, in because previous nude artworks, such as Titian’s Venus de Urbino, the nude subject shyly averted her gaze from the viewer. The Church opposed this piece, and demanded to know more about the piece. However, they were unable to find more information, and this mystery helped add to the controversy. In 1805, Goya created The Clothed Maja, a painting of a woman in the exact same pose, except with clothes on.

John Singer Sargent, Madame X - 1884

John Singer Sargent’s Madame X depicts a young woman, Madame Pierre Gautreau, a Paris woman known for her involvement in art. In this piece, Sargent aimed to enhance his reputation by depicting this high class woman in a portrait. The controversy comes in the fact that he highlights Gautreau’s personal style by depicting her with a slipping shoulder strap. This drew a lot of criticism after the piece was unveiled in the Salon, a world renowned art show. Sargent then repainted the strap. In Madame X, Sargent depicts Gautreau in a very snobby, aloof manner, and is also commenting on the extremely high status of French nobility in the 19th century.

Georgia O'Keeffe, Black Iris - 1926

This flower painting is one of O’Keeffe’s most well known pieces and is widely regarded as one of her masterpieces. The use of subtle colors and subtle color gradients are exhalted in this piece, especially in the mix of black, purple, pinks, grays, and whites. The masterful use of colors also helps draw the viewer's attention to the details of the piece. However, this piece caused controversy when critics saw sexual and erotic content in the contours and sensuality of the piece. They claimed the piece audaciously contained the form of a woman’s private parts, causing some accusations and controversy.

Rene Magritte, The Rape - 1945

The Rape by Rene Magritte drew immediate controversy because of its graphic sexual nature. It depicts the face of a woman, but her eyes are represented by a woman’s breasts, her nose by a belly button, and her mouth represented by pubic hair. The Rape is also heavy with symbolism relating to his mother’s suicide, which heavily influenced Magritte’s perception of women as sexual objects, adding to the controversy.