Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-30

there is something to be said yet on the
subject. The vote that has been taken
does not dispose of the ethical ques-
ton at issue. 1t is quite possible
that if the Managers had put it to
the vote whether live naked woman
should be exhibited in place of
the picture, they might have obtained an
affirmative majority. That kind of re.
course may bear semblance of di-
rectness, but it is not the more satisfactory
or deserving of respect. The truth is that
a good IDEAL of irrelevant argument is always
introduced when the subject commonly
called, "the nude in art" is discussed.
Well-meaning people talk about it on
parallels of thought SO widely separated
that harmony of conclusion is un.
attainable. In case of this kind we are
not called upon to consider whether the
effect produced upon company of artists
or highly educated and refined men and
women by such picture as the % Awaken
sing" would be healthful or innocent. We
are called upon to consider the effect of
such picture upon common people, and
especially upon young people. In order to
ascertain the nature of this effect we must
learn what it is common people see in
such picture. And in the case under dis
cussion this is not difficult, since there is,
for subject, simply and only woman,
stark naked, lying on a couch. If
the nudity of the woman Were
subordinate; if it were but
necessity of some dramatic situation, or
faithful rendering OF some historical or
legendary episode or if the naked woman
were but an incident in picture crowded
with other objects and figures; no doubt
it would be possible to assume the exist
ence in the average spectator of some other
emotion than that which is excited by the
mere exhibition of female nudity. But
here there is nudity and nothing else. For
all of technical and artistic qualification
which such painting bestows is reserved
for the cultured few. The many see, and
can see, in it, neither more nor less than a
wildly real representation of naked
woman in bed. We have no doubt at all
that it would be easy to procure very
large vote in any considerable city, in favor
Of such art exhibitions Most men find a
pleasure in pictures of the kind, what
they may pretend to the contrary. But
this is not the question. The question is
whether the managers of the Mechanics
Fair do right in exhibiting such a
picture, and whether the exhibition
is morally defensible. To US it appears
that only injurious consequences can flow
from such an open recognition of the las
civious tendencies of poor human nature.
For picture of this kind speaks to those
tendencies alone, and we cannot believe
that they stand in any need of further
encouragement. We may say further
that a picture like this is not fair illus.
tration of the legitimate use of the nude
IN art. Reliance upon nudity alone for
the attraction of painting is not only bad
in morals but in art. Its employment is
only admissible when it is redeemed by
the theme, and here there is no loftier
theme than NJ. lola presents in the
acknowledgements of L Assommoir. From
the study of such painting there can
come only lewd imaginings and nasty sug-
gestions, and no matter how many people
approve its exhibition we must express
the opinion that the managers of the
Mechanics Fair made mistake in allow
ing it to remain and a mistake the
greater in that they themselves had really
condemned it, by causing it to be covered
.nreyiouslv