“Confusing art with pornography is ridiculous”: the astonishment caused in Italy by the controversy in a Florida school over a photo of “El David” by Michelangelo

The Florence museum that houses the statue of “El David” by Miguel Angel invited the teachers and students of a Florida school to visit it, after the director of the educational center resigned following a complaint from parents who considered that the work of art is “pornographic”.

Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, said that the director of the school it should have been “rewarded, not punished”.

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“Talking about the Renaissance without showing the David, an indisputable icon of art and culture of that historical period, would be meaningless,” Hollberg said.

The controversy began when the board of directors of the Tallahassee Classical School, a charter school in the Florida state capital, pressured the center’s director, Hope Carrasquilla, to resign after three parents complained about a lesson that included a photo of Michelangelo’s nude marble statue.

The statue, one of the most famous in the history of Western art, depicts the biblical David going to fight Goliath armed only with a sling and his faith in God.

The school board blamed Carrasquilla because the parents claimed they were not notified in advance that their children would be shown nude, and one parent called the statue “pornographic.”

Bewilderment

The incident has left Florentines and Renaissance art experts baffled.

“David” is considered a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance and a symbol of humanist values. It has been on display at the Galleria dell’Accademia since 1873.

Cecile Hollberg said she was “astonished”, stating that to think that the statue of David could be considered pornographic means not only not understanding the Bible, but also Western culture itself.

“I can’t believe this really happenedAt first I thought it was fake news. It seemed so unlikely and absurd to me,” she said.

“One has to make a distinction between nudity and pornography. There is nothing pornographic or aggressive in the David. He is a young boy, a shepherd, who according to the Bible did not have ostentatious clothes but wanted to defend the people from him with what he had.”

The mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, also invited the teacher who showed the students the image of “El David” to visit the city and its works of art.

“Confusing art with pornography is just ridiculous”he tweeted. “Art is civilization and those who teach it deserve respect.”

In an interview with Slate magazine, Barney Bishop, the president of the school board, said that last year they sent a notice to parents warning them that students were going to see Michelangelo’s “David,” but this year it was not. .

He called it an “egregious mistake” and said that “parents have a right to know whenever their children are going to be taught a controversial subject and image.”

Consternation

According to the historian of Florentine art and dean of the University for Foreigners of Siena, Tomaso Montanari, this attitude is “disconcerting”.

“First there is the dismay over the absence of educational freedom, as families should not restrain or manipulate it,” Montanari said.

“On the other hand, from a cultural perspective, the Western world has a tendency to associate fundamentalism and censorship with other societies, believing that it possesses the ability to spread democratic ideals throughout the world.”

“But this cultural setback clearly highlights the presence of fundamentalist views in the West as well.”

While several parents and teachers plan to protest Hope Carrasquilla’s resignation at the school board meeting, she said she’s not sure she’d take the job again, even if offered.

“There has been so much controversy and so much turmoil,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press. “I would really have to consider if it’s for the best.”

From Florence, Cecile Hollberg said: “From majestic statues to enchanting fountains and paintings, Italy is replete with works of art, not just in its museums, but in all its cities, squares and streets, some featuring nude figures.”

“Does that make it pornography? Should entire cities be shut down because of artistic depictions of the human form?

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.