Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-19
THE NUDE IN ART.

=
Nympbs Bathing"
The following paper by Mrs. Helen P.
jenkins was read to the Detroit Won ans
club at its last meeting, and was recei lived
with very general approval:
I have been requested by Mrs. Stone to
give, in connection with sketch of Bou-
guereau, my opinion in regard to 'the
nude in art" I do not propose to enter
upon any crusade against s"the nude,' nor
do come with severe condemnation of this
one particular picture by Bouguerean-
which (if we must have ''the nude" in art)
is as beautiful a picture, with its soft, low
co.oring, as art could possibly make it
but wish simply to give my convictions
upon this branch of art in general. 1t
seems to me there are two serious objec-
tions to the exhibition of pictures of nude
women. First, the indelicacy of it. I do
not believe it can be gainsaid that what is
indeIicate in actual life does not lose its
indelicacy when reproduced il art.
If dozen naked women entered a room
filled with people, we would be shocked at
the immodesty, the downright vulgarity
of the proceeding. If an artist places
these dozen women on canvas, for the
public to gaze at, has the indelicacy entire
ly disappeared?
think we deceive ourselves in trying to
educate ourselves not to care when the
nakedness of our sex is exposed to public
view. I know there are many women who
choke back their objections, who dare not
| say word against such exposure, because
| it is art, high art, and they are told art ex-
cuses everything and art must have this
| field, and they fear they may expose their
| ignorance of art by condemning thing
| which has been approved by artists for
centuries.
| My dear women, the artists of the past
| have been men, and men have done in art
exactly what they did in literature-made
it frequently indecent till women entered
there and bravely demanded a puriica-
| ton.
Of course the artist would cry out indig-
nantly if he was to be denied this field for
his brush, the anatomist growls and remon-
strates when vivisection is refused him,
but art can do without the one quite as
we'll as it has been decided science can do
without the other.
If the artist must paint the nude let him
paint his own sex or paint chiidren-he
has no right to snatch from women the
covering that civilization and decsncy have
OfQdlueu In0y IuuSI wear.
i This idea of decency, which is large
factor in civilization, is right-it is to be
trusted, it means something, and can not
with impunity be disregarded.
However beautiful the female form may
be, the delicacy which clothes it and for
bids the world to contemplate it is more
beautiful still; and art, though 1t claims
for itself great prerogatiyes. has no right
to wound womanhood by insultingly ig-
noring this delicacy, and then seeking to
per vert the judgment of women by fiat
terry and false arguments, so they shall
make no protest against such treatmen t.
The second objection make to the ex-
hibition of pictures Of nude women is still
more important one-it is moral one.
Every picture appeals to something in
} the nature of the observer, and art, to
} serve its highest purpose. should address
itself to the noblest and purest impulses
and feelings. There is sufficient sensuous-
ness in human nature to answer all hnman
needs without making any effort to arouse
it. It is frequently said with great unc-
ton in vindlcation of the Dude that E'Eo
the pure all things are pure" but that is
no vindication, for all are not pure, and
we are ''our brothers keeper" For pure
|
not be taken Ia consideration in this mat
ter at all.
What an amazing blunder some men
make in fancying the vulgarity and seduc-
| tiOns of the world threaten only their
wives and their daughters-that if no in
lection reaches women no harm is done
The gentleman of this city who expressed
his intention to take his wife to see Bou-
| he I'D
restaurant, in New York city, and said he
did not believe the picture would harm her
at all, has small comprehension of the sit
uation. Harm her! A pure woman may
pass through the mire of mire of sin with
out speck or tinge, with only her heart
made holier and more tender. Alb, the
eyes are gazing in The. wrong direction
The enemy is not approaching from that
side. 1t is sweeping up from the opposite
direction toward where our sons are BIZ
youacked.
So long as throughout the whole wide
world, in every city and every town, there
are places of ill-repute prepared 10 meet
the demands of sensuality, SO long, as we
are told by gifted men and good men,
like Lecky, the historian, that there is no
hope that this nameless sin can ever be
wiped out from the world because of an
excessive demand which will never cease-
then VIC know that there is vast army
who are not pure, and what weight has the
| saying that "io the pure all things are
pufe, since we know this army is beng
forever recruited by sons of women as
good as we.
I cannot refrain from quoting passage
from Lecky, taken from the chapter on the
Position of Women" in his history of
European morals.
Speaking of the 'prostitUte'' he says
''She remains while creeds and civilization
rise and fall, the eternal priestess of hu-
mainly, blasted for the sins of the people,"
Mark you, eternal priestess of humanity ~
for Lecky believes this creature is 'sulti-
mately the most efficient guardian of viz
tue" that, shut for her the purity of count
less happy homes would be polluted"
This is mans view, and we are to place
some confidence in it, and though none of
US, 1 think take the hopeless
view of the case that Lecky does, yet there
are sufficient facts before Us to make it
evident that frail humanity should be
guarded against every influence, even the
| slightest which may arouse sensuousness.
| do not sympathize with the old Purl-
tanic idea that all beauty is snare of the
| deviI I'M rva sbouid offar for