Vienna Special: Male Nudity Taboo
The Leopold Museum in Vienna, famous worldwide of course for its staggering (currently, ever-diminishing), dubiously acquired Egon Schiele collection, has been making national and international headlines since October 2012 with its current temporary exhibition nude men from 1800 to the present day.
Never in recent history has a Viennese art exhibition sparked such lively discussion and argument, such extreme disdain and smug appreciation. On one hand, you have the prudes: "What a ridiculous, vulgar idea - naked men! Trash!". On the opposite side we have the curious and the progressives, pointing out that women have been depicted nude since the dawn of time, and in modern society are revealed as such in painting, photography, advertisements, films, video games, music clips and so on. So what is the big deal about male nudity?
Regardless of whose side you are on, we can all agree on one thing: the male nude is a taboo in modern society.
This was, of course not always the case. The exhibition opens with statues from Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, showing us that the male nude has been around – much like the female – for as long as there has been figurative art. The museums' choice of the ancient example, however, is quite "tame". The male nude was not always stoic or even realistic (as is suggested by this exhibition). One visit to either Pompeii of the Naples Archeological Museum will illustrate this; erect, extremely enlarged penises were common and socially acceptable in the Ancient World.
They were not a taboo and were depicted frequently, their size often exaggerated in frescoes. They are found everywhere, in all shapes and sizes: phallic-shaped pendants were worn by children for good luck, statues depicting the gods had them, famous writers openly wrote about male genitalia, and penis-sculptures were turned into charming everyday trinkets like lamps, door handles, bells, and much more.
Leaving behind the Ancient world we move into the 1800s, 1900s and modern times. The nude male form as it was depicted in art throughout the centuries is celebrated, ridiculed, fetishized and dissected in the works of the greats like Schiele, Warhol, Cézanne, Cocteau, Joseph-Désiré Court and many, many more. Here too it seems acceptable, natural, and not at all shocking. Why, then, does it appear scandalous in modern photography, film and installation, and why does an exhibition dedicated exclusively to this topic make so many people feel uncomfortable? Is it a matter of hyper-realism, or are we just uncomfortable in our new roles?
Art historian Eva Kernbauer, from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, makes an interesting point in commenting that, traditionally, while female nudity had been linked to eroticism, beauty and a certain vulnerability and humility, the male nudity was associated with strength, power and a challenge. This makes sense, since even on a basic level the male sexual organ is more aggressive and evident than the female.
Since the ancient times, however, much has been done to alter the role of the female nude in art, and the old concept was challenged and overturned thanks to artists like Gustave Courbet, David LaChapelle, Lucian Freud, Jenny Saville and many others. The female nude is no longer necessarily aesthetically pleasing; and if it is, then it is certainly not humble or vulnerable.
Yet if we are willing to recognize the change in the role of the female nude, why is it so difficult to accept its change in the male? Perhaps, because we simply need more time. Further, new roles assigned to the male nude by artists like Mapplethorpe, Nan Goldin and others oftentimes radically transforms the "classical hero" into a tender, seductive homosexual lover. This is not a role that everyone is fully comfortable with.
The "crown jewel" of the show, which caused so much public uproar when it was selected to advertise the exhibition, is Pierre et Gilles' Vive la France: a giant full-frontal photograph of three naked football players. As reported by the country's prime news channel ORF 1 the exhibition's poster and its well-endowed subjects were described as everything from "embarrassing" to "pornographic". The posters were "censored", the men's genitalia covered up with red band. It was reported that more women complained than men; one woman allegedly threatened to grab a brush and start painting the posters over herself. Ironically, in all my time visiting this museum, I have never seen longer lines at the ticket office.
Paradoxically, while the posters throughout the city were covered up due to alleged public criticism, Ilse Haider's Mr. Big (first picture) remains outside the museum doors, welcoming the eager crowds... and continues to be "used as a children's playground", comments the press spokesman for the Leopold Museum.
Leopold Museum im MuseumsQuartier Wien
U2 MuseumsQuartier
Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed, Fri-Sun - 10am–6pm
Tue - Closed
Thu - 10am–9pm
