The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-31
THE NUDE In ART.


the customs officers at Bombay the effect of
which is to show that Hindu gentlemen are
not up in art 1t appears that while
steamer was discharging its cargo at that
port, recently one of the cases was accident
ally broken open glance at its contents
was suffi cient to condemn it as indecent, and
it was confscated and carried away. The
custom-house officials then proceeded to ex-
anime the improper pictures at their leisure,
They found several porcelain slabs each con-
tanning representation of nude figure, and
at the bottom of the vase they found, to their
establishment, porcelain vase with the vice
roy's photograph on one side of it. The
case, it turned out, was consigned to for
eign agent at Simla for Lord Ripon and the
Indecent" pictures were careful copies of
famous masterpieces. The box was nailed
up again and dispatched to its destination.
But the joke was too good to keep and it
was circulated at the expense of the officers,
and eventually found its way into the daily
press. But while this is evidently joke,
and good one, there are many Just stupid
enough to wonder whether it really
is good joke. How many not
familiar with the works of the old masters
would fail to condemn as indecent nine
tenths of their productions? Some of the
less refined would like to know, too why it
is that the very same things painted now
would unhesitatingly be denounced as indie
cent and impure. Let relic of the old mas
ters be found and copied, and then pre-
to be condemned There are strange incon-
sistencies in cultivated tastes, and the I'M
educated are apt to become incredulous, and
to wonder if, after ALL there is such thing
as standard in these matters. If the work
of the masters can be determined only by an
imaginary trademark, and if the vul-
gar becomes proper with the lapse
of years, what virtue is there in
it all? The educated taste nicely discrimin-
ates. The nude in art is pure, in nature in
decent The human form in its natural
state, instinct with life and rudy with the
healthy tide that rushes to and fro from the
heart must be draped and hidden. Not
from all eyes, however for the artist in pig
ments or clay is privileged to turn back tine
veil and lay bare that which is hidden
This done, and the result is art. 1t requires
acute discernment sometimes TO draw the
Ii ne between art in the bagnio and art in the
salon, but there are those who maintain
that many a tyro in these matters woul at
once consign many of the old masters to
surroundings in keeping with their appear
ance. In the same line with high art is
that acquired taste which is phased with
semi-nudity ON the stage yet frowns at the
display of even an ankle elsewhere. Fash
ion also takes some liberties not in accord
ance with plebeian views. A silk or satin
costume, without sleeves and cut extremely
decollette, is in good form. 1t is ridiculous
to say it is not or to attempt to criticise
But let dress be cut from exactly the same
pattern in Calico and the result would be
shamefully vulgar A lady can go to a ball
and be stared at while she exposes nearly or
quite a quarter of her body. That is not to
be questioned. But let that same lady be
accidentally seen in a night-robe that eff
fectually conceals her from her chin to her
toes, and she is scandalized. All these things
are very confusing to those not up in art
and it is not strange that occasionally such
people will mistake the truly beautiful and
highly proper for the unquestionably indie
cent and undeniably vulgar.