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

8,000 Buddhas in One Place

DailyMail.co.uk

These [Bodhisattva] sculptures stretch for as far as the eye can see. There are 8,000 of them in all, and each and every one has been painstakingly carved from dead jujube trees. Varying in height from 3 ft. (1 m) to 4.5 ft. (1.5 m), they have been put on display in Zhengzhou, China, before being moved to the Ten Thousand Buddha Garden. Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life. Buddhism teaches that all life is interconnected, so compassion is natural and important. More

Chinese Buddhism at the Longmen Grottoes

Xuan Rosemaninovich

Along with the Mogao Caves and Yungang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes are one of the three most famous ancient sculptural sites in China. They are 12 km south of present-day Luoyang City in Henan, China. There are 2,345 caves and niches, 2,800 inscriptions, 43 pagodas, and over 100,000 Buddhist images at the site. Thirty percent of the caves date from the Northern Wei Dynasty, 60 percent from the Tang Dynasty, and 10 percent of the caves are from other periods. Fengxian Temple (Fengxiansi), 672-675 AD, is the largest and most extravagant cave in Longmen, featuring the impressive Vairocana Buddha and various other bodhisattvas. It was built during the golden age of the Tang Dynasty and is often considered the pinnacle of Chinese Buddhist art.

• PHOTO GALLERY

PHOTO: Middle Binyang Cave constructed by order of Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei in honor of his parents Emperor Xiaowen and Empress Wenzhao, the cave was supposed to imitate Lingyansi Cave at the Yungang Caves. Work began in 500 AD and was completed in 523 AD. The main buddha (shown here) and bodhisattvas are representative of the Northern Wei sculptural style. A lotus-flower pool decorates the floor. The ceiling is engraved with a blossoming lotus flower, 8 musical apsarases, 2 attending apsarases, and tassel and drapery patterns. The front wall is covered with a large Vimalakirti relief, the Prince Sattva Jataka, the Prince Sudatta Jataka, an emperor/empress worshipping scene, and ten deity kings.

Bamiyam Buddhas of Afghanistan

AIIS slide show of the Bamiyan Buddhas: destroyed by the Taliban, Muslim extremists defending a strict interpretation of Islamic scripture. The photos for this presentation are part of the AIIS photograph archive.

• Click here to start

AIIS's archive of photos constitutes one of the largest collections of art-history photographs and slides in Asia. It provides extensive visual documentation of thousands of sites in South Asia. This presentation has been put together to celebrate the beauty and power of the statues of the Bamiyan Buddhas that were located in Afghanistan.

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