Paintings by foreign artists that sparked great controversies

Different artists have seen the world with their own lenses. Some saw the beauty of the trees and flowers while others saw the beauty of human touch. Some painted beautiful winters and some others painted women and yet landed themselves in trouble. Well, these were not ordinary human paintings though! Paintings by some artists landed them in trouble for they showed nudity in some form or the other. A naked woman, a sharp female gaze, naked men in the Church and the likes were generally paintings that got a bad name for themselves.
Here we list some of these controversial paintings and what exactly made them scandalous.

Michelangelo's ‘The Last Judgement’ is not a painting but rather a mural located in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Completed in 1541, it depicts the Second Coming of Christ and the final judgement of souls. The controversy arose due to the portrayal of nudity, which was considered scandalous during the Renaissance period. The painting's vivid depiction of nude figures, including Christ, angered some members of the Church who believed it to be inappropriate for a sacred space. Critics accused Michelangelo of immorality and demanded the censorship or alteration of the artwork.

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‘Olympia’ was painted in 1863 by Manet and features a reclining nude woman staring directly at the viewer. It was unconventional for its time and is often frowned upon by people even today because it does not sit right with the traditional depiction of an idealised female beauty. The model’s eyes look almost confrontational as if she was asking the viewer ‘why do you still look when you dont want to see?’. Her nakedness, in contrast to the customary portrayal of nudity as allegory or mythology, shocked the audience at that time. The painting was criticised for its boldness and was labelled as immoral and offensive.

Medical procedures were and in some places still are thought to be filled with gross visuals with blood splattering everywhere. Medical procdure’s are something that only the patient and doctors witness but what if someone painted it?
Well, Thomas Eakins' ‘The Gross Clinic’ portrays Dr. Samuel Gross performing surgery, surrounded by medical students. This realistic depiction of surgery, with blood and a human body opened up, shocked viewers at that time. The controversy stemmed from the graphic nature of the painting and the unconventional subject matter for art. Critics found it too unsettling and not appropriate for public display due to its raw portrayal of surgery, with a woman in the side who appeared to be visibly shaken.

If there is one painter whose name is synonymous to controversy, then it has to be Picasso. In 1907, Picasso's ‘Les Demoiselles d'Avignon’ featured five nude female figures in a fragmented and angular style. The controversy arose from its radical departure from traditional representation of women which was more ‘docile’ and covered up. The distortion of the female form and the sharp geometric shapes were initially met with shock and outrage. Viewers found the painting to be disturbing and against female beauty standards. .

(Image: Wikipedia)

Another painting by Manet that stirred controversy was the ‘Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe’. The paintings depicts a picnic scene with a nude woman sitting among clothed men in a rural setting. The open and explicit nudity of the female figure, with her eyes directly on the audience or viewers stirred great controversy during that time and still leaves people uncomfortable. A naked woman sitting casually and engaging in a conversation is not really something people are very open to or comfortable with. The painting was thus termed as scandalous and indecent.

Francisco Goya's ‘La maja desnuda’ is a painting of a reclining nude woman gazing confidently at the viewer. Commissioned by Manuel de Godoy, it was initially intended for private viewing but became controversial due to its public display. The controversy stemmed from how much at ease the woman seemed to be in her nudity and how traditional standards of a docile woman were quite the opposite of it.