Michelangelo's David's penis is showing

Does it make it any better "art" if the penis is detachable? lyricist and musicians of King Missile

Don't look at his penis, Kids.

In the city that cherishes Michelangelo’s statue David as a naked icon and artistic masterpiece, concerns over its representation -- in vulgar, dick-centric, ass-flashing tourism tchotchke merchandise (see accompanying video linked below) -- spark debate in Florence, Italy.

The statue of David, completed in 1504, is more than a sculpture.

Donatello's David is naked!

It embodies significant historical and religious contexts [like the fact that this proto-Western culture did not circumcise its male or female children as it does now, removing the most sensitive part of the human body, the foreskin and clitoris, which are far more sensitive than the fingertips or lips], which curators fear are being belittled through the commercialization of its image, notably as frivolous novelties highlighting its penis, butt crack and nudity.

We should ban the Puritan Americans from visiting Europe.

Ancient pornography, obscenity called "art," diaphanous see through and aroused breasts

Under the leadership of Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Galleria dell’Accademia, there has been a vigorous defense against what is perceived as the misuse of David’s imagery.

Since 2015, Hollberg has seen to the initiation of multiple legal disputes, employing Italy’s rigorous cultural heritage code to halt the unauthorized and profane exploitation of the artwork.

Leonardo Da Vinci Vitruvian Man

Hollberg’s actions have led to the successful procurement of significant financial restitution since 2017 and have prompted protective measures for other cultural works such as Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man,” Donatello’s David, and Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus.”

Despite the formal protection ending typically 70 years post the artist’s death, as delineated in the Berne Convention, these Italian court cases challenge this norm and raise critical questions about the balance between cultural patrimony and freedom of expression.

• VIDEO: The fight for David's image - Italy; tries to protect its cultural heritage and the freedom to show life size penises in public art for all, including children, to see (AP)

Naked penis of sacred gymnosophist Mahavira, India

Does the right to uphold the dignity of art override the public domain status of these works?

Art market lawyer, Thomas C. Danziger, questions the extent to which cultural institutions should control images that are supposedly free to replicate and adapt.

Italy’s unique stance effectively grants indefinite copyright-like control to museums and parallels similar regulations governed by the Vatican and recently adopted by Greece.

French realms like the Louvre, by contrast, operate under a more open public domain policy due to the datedness of their collections.

The European Union seems to back a more liberal approach according to a 2019 directive, yet Italy’s application of its cultural code remains unchallenged at the EU level to date. More: Defending Michelangelo’s Masterpiece: A Battle for Artistic Integrity

• Beavis & Butt-Head hear King Missile, "Detachable Penis" on MTV (Mike Judge); Ella Bennet, The UBJ via MSN, 4/2/24; Amanda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly