[Richard Bingham]

Coming late to the party, I wish it were possible to respond to Bill Whittaker's excellent commentary in the locked thread in this section.

Surely, little need be added, although anyone who has painted the nude from the life, and finds themselves stymied in some way, by the subject , the reception accorded such works, or the reaction they elicit would be well served by reading Kenneth Clark's The Nude (Doubleday, 1956) - a compilation of lectures he delivered under the auspices of the National Gallery, Washington DC, 1953-55.

Of particular interest is the deep impression made by nude works of art upon the humanist philosophies of classical Greece, and how that great impact redounded through Christian European culture before the Renaissance into the present day. The simplistic raison of Clark's thesis is discussion of the tension between sacred and profane love, between "nude" (in humanist terms) and "naked" (which implies obscenity).

It's puzzling how adverse reactions to the nude figure in art continue to be prevalent in the current world culture where the "decent" limit of partial nudity is a perennially receding line, and baring yet more flesh is ubiquitous and acceptable.

A lively discussion of this topic on these boards would be gratifying!