Don’t Be Shy! Celebrating The Nude In Art & Design
The human body is a fascinating subject. Think about how no two curves, lines, textures or colors will ever be the exact same on any other person - each body is absolutely unique. Even identical twins aren’t truly identical!
Perhaps this is why artists have studied the nude form – sketched it, painted it, sculpted it and photographed it – for centuries now. Upon seeing the Michelangelo’s David sculpture in Florence, I was struck by the scale of the sculpture, subtle details like a vein in the oversized right hand and how the marble looks as supple as skin. I would bring David home if I could. It doesn’t shock me that he’s nude.
Domaine Home recently featured an article entitled 20 Times Nude Art Was Surprisingly Sophisticated and curated a beautiful collection of interior design photographs featuring stunning nude artworks. I was so happy to see this article, because I never understood what the controversy was about, but there’s still such controversy!
Left Photo: Anne Sage, Right Photo: Wall Street Journal
Honestly, I’ve always thought of nude art as sophisticated, as I’d only ever seen it in some of the most sophisticated homes, museums and galleries – especially when I was younger. I didn’t grow up with collectible art in my home, but over the years when I met people who did I always noticed how confidently they displayed their collection – especially their nudes. In my mind, if a museum would show nude art it must be important, so even when I was very young I never thought of it as strange or embarrassing. It was elegant.
So, let’s get classy, people! Let’s bring the nude home and enjoy the beauty, elegance and style of the incredible human form captured by the artists who’ve loved it all along.
