‘Confusing art with pornography is ridiculous’: controversy in a US school over Michelangelo’s nude statue

The image of Michelangelo’s statue of David was used in an exercise with 11- and 12-year-old students; parents at Tallahassee schools complained that there was no nudity notice.

The director of a school in the city of Tallahassee, in the United States, was forced to resign after an ultimatum from the pedagogical council. Hope Carrasquilla was accused of showing pictures of Michelangelo’s statue of David in class. The nudity in the work was classified as “pornographic” by one of her parents.

The image was used in an exercise in the sixth grade art class – which, in the United States, teaches 11- and 12-year-olds – at the Tallahassee Classical School.

Three parents complained that the image was displayed without any warning that nudity would be shown.

After the controversy, the director of the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, where the statue has been exhibited since 1873, invited the former director of the school and the students to visit the work.

Museum director Cecilie Hollberg said Hope Carrasquilla should be “rewarded, not punished”.

“Talking about the Renaissance without showing the David, an indisputable icon of the art and culture of that historical period, would make no sense,” said Hollberg.

The 16th-century marble statue is one of the most famous in Western history. It depicts the biblical hero David going to fight Goliath armed only with a sling and his faith in God.

Several parents and teachers are planning to protest Carrasquilla’s departure, but she’s not sure she would return to her job if it were possible.

“There was so much controversy and turmoil,” she said in an interview with the Associated Press. “Should I really consider, ‘Is this really what’s best for me?'”

The controversy puzzled Florentines and Renaissance art experts.

Hollberg said she was “overwhelmed” by the situation and said that thinking the statue of David is pornographic reveals a misunderstanding not only of the Bible, but of Western culture itself.

“I can’t believe this actually happened, at first I thought it was fake news, it was so improbable and absurd,” said the museum director.

“You have to make a distinction between nudity and pornography. There is nothing pornographic or aggressive about David, he is a young man, a shepherd, who even according to the Bible did not wear ostentatious clothes, but wanted to defend his people with what he had.”

The mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, also invited the teacher who showed the students the image of David to visit the city and its works of art.

“Confusing art with pornography is just ridiculous,” he tweeted. “Art is civilization, and whoever teaches it deserves respect.”

In an interview with the Slate website, Barney Bishop, chairman of the education council, said the principal sent a statement to parents last year warning that students would see David’s picture, but the same procedure is not been done this year.

Bishop called this a “blatant error” and said “parents have a right to know whenever their child is dealing with a controversial topic or image.”

But, for the art historian and rector of the University for Foreigners of Siena, Tomaso Montanari, the backlash from the image in the USA was “bewildering”.

“Firstly, there is consternation at the absence of educational freedom, as it should not be limited or manipulated by families”, analyzes Montanari.

“On the other hand, from a cultural point of view, the Western world tends to associate fundamentalism and censorship with other societies, believing they have the capacity to spread democratic ideals around the world.”

“But this cultural backlash clearly reveals the presence of fundamentalist views in the West as well.”

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.