The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-08
THE NUDE IN ART.
MOralists and ARTISTS w h o Are the
Tudg+s?


The following from Appleton's jour
nal will be read with especial interest in
connection with what the STAR had to
say day or two ago about the bad taste
in placing a certain picture in the Expo.
sition Art Gallery:
'It must be remembered that while
artists, and possibly art critics, are com
petent Judges of all purely artistic mat
ters, are final authority as to the draw
ing, the composition, the chiaroscuro,
the texture and the tone of any paint
ing, they are even less competent than
laymen to pronounce upon its moral
effects. In all art features artists
are experts: but in effects upon morals
they are not eKperts--they are even par
tial, one-sided judges, their personal in
terests being largely concerned in the ver-
dict. The true experts as TO the morals
of a work of art are students of morals,
those persons who make a study of the
operations of the mind, of the natural
tendencies of emotion and passion, of the
laws of ethics. These are the only per-
sons who can be accepted $ authority in
any question of morals. This fact needs
to be enforced, inasmuch us great mental
confusion exists in regard thereto. 1t is
continually assumed that the opinions
of artists and critics of art are authori-
tative as to the ethics of art because
they are authorities as to the techniques of
art. This is singular mistake. Mr..
Pages opinion of the execution OF Titian's
Venus is entitled to very great respect;
but Mr. Pages opinion as to the moral
effect of Titian's Venus is worth very
little by the side of DIR. Crosby's opinion
on that subject just as DIR. Crosby opin-
ion as to the color and drawing of any
performance is of no authority whatever.
This distinction has not, we believe, been
pointed out, and yet it is very clear
one. People, being dependent upon GER
tain authorities for instruction in the
principles of art. have come to believe
that their domain extends to the morals
of art. What, we have to ask, is the
opinion of experts in the matter? What
do moralists say about the influence oi
nude art in morals? Now, there are two
classes of moralists that are almost unan
imous in their judgment: First, there is
the whole body Of the people, who, with.
out special training, have yet the instincts
that come of moral culture; second, there
is the whole body of teachers
Of ethics; the specialists who
make the study of right and wrong the
business of their lives-and these two
classes are nearly of one mind as to the
4 propriety of nudity in art. The instinct
of inodesty, for instance, is very power
ful in women of all classes and grades,
and we may be sure that the mothers,
wives and sisters of men are here nearly
of one mind--altogether of one mind, il
we except the few who, being artists OF
connected with artists, or otherwise un-
der the influence of the art theories OF
the day, have forced down their instincts
and brought themselves, by series OF
sophstries to think things which in
their heart of hearts they do not believe
if the instincts of mDdesty are not &c
powerful in men as in women, they odre
s. ill very general, and, until reasoned
away by artistic sophistries, are sure tt
be shocked at those displays in ART which
in real life are never permitted. Tht
natural instincts of men and women ar
thus in accord with the deductions O
H nfyraIists, 7 "a '.-# '-'''-