The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1886-05-15
V.,e Vbibooaux Sentinel
SATURDAY, MAY -, 1856.
H..e Nude in Art.


had a v",y !arg. ani'rnec. "nd ,endrr
ed a deri~;on that fell upon lovers Of
At lik. Il thunder clap. From it they
prnp"s" +" appeal to a higher court.
The decision appears to have emboii~h
the most ,+fuetl sentiment with extra
ordinary wisdom. and lovers Of dtcrn-
CIV will rongr.tplatr tine ,ccord + on
his f. iciti ms remarks. MesSrS. Rice.
Shar;,lev & 90. icwr'er-. on Metre
Dame street. had exposed in their win
d"ws tw statues. copies of Michael Nn
gelo's ''Nicht and Morning." the o III
nnl of which is to be f,nnd in the Cha
pei OF The Mcdici. HIS honor held that
1t had ben proven that the sfatnr-
were nude, as he dra very did not h,}f
cover the figures. In rendering 4 .ri
sion he sad
Have al the grc"t artists been ex
emp; from fault in this respect We're
not MANY pagan artists shameless.
Si'V'' a!tNtStl nv uTPChS II I3Nlh0
introduced entirely nude statues int ,
Rome. and Piinin~ complains of the
corruption Of art in his time. Tllr1ei-
nothing Surprising in this WHEN the
most pe>uicions passions were dptied.
1t Is not even surprising that daring
the first year of Christianity. the Chris
tlans. Just ont Of the h'tii of idola'ry.
had but little horror OF oh ,ec,s which
We're seen eve ywhere in temples, pub
lie squares and palaces. Christian art
then appea,ed AID acquired Il high 4.
gree ofperf-ction. Are we obliged.-
continued the Judge. "tp accept indie
cent objects bee ause they are offered
by great artists? 1t is sail that 4
work of art Cannot be indecent F.? But
why not Is il because it comes near
er to nature ? But this is the reason
which makes it dangerous. Witnesses
have been called TO prove that Euro
pean museums contained il number of
these statne>. l know .hat well. The
tact that these obj cts arr to be f,nna
in the n>eum l. not anit- conclusive
in favor of the defendants. cannot
See whit the people can gain by sceing
against their will tn different parts of
the bndy. the mere name of which
would einse an honest woman to blush.
1t would tamliiarlge the people with sen
sua'Ity, make it admired, make !. low
ed. and thereby be in direct opposition
TO the principles of Christianity, which
forbids all that is INSPIRED by til view
OF Substitutes. l. it necessary for me
t" give Il tabi-an of the moral> of pa
gani>m or OF the Renaissance One
has only TO consult his own instinct. 10
study his W heart to know what the
view of snch nudity can produce ON
youth, manhood, and even old age. OF
course the e are some choice and select
natures who, because they see no harm
IN these, think there is no danger dor
Others. Many of the witnesses fol the de
Tense seem to passes. an excep,jouaIlv
highly gifted nature, tree from passions.
For the museums are rrned and
they may become clients of the defer
dants; but the history OF humanity
Slows US thai the world is mad- Of quite
a different mind. and this is wily when
Adam ana Ev had siuned they lid
themselves, because they knew that
they We're nude, and God himself proyi
d'd them with their first clothing. #
mas oeen said that many nude statues
ale still t" be Seen in the churches of
Rome, and serve as an ornament to
some tombs. As ! have already said,
tue Renaissance had rlaced statues Of
pagan gods in the temples, but wha.
seems to be ignored is that IL Pope eau
sed drape'les to be plac. d on the NOR.
revolving nudi;ies Of Michael Angelo,
Last Judgment His Honor added
that he had consulted the Protestant
clergy upon this subject, and they all
entertained the same views as he did.
lie found the prisoners guilty, but
would not pass sentence. as hey may
have acted in good faith and in the DO
sltion of those Of whom it was said by
a very high authority. "Forgi7e them,
for they knew not what they do"