Modigliani’s #Pornocalypse
This painting is Modigliani’s Nu couché, or “Reclining Nude” as it is usually rendered in English. To my pornified eye, it is no thing at all — a crudely-rendered oil painting with muddy colors, of interest (if at all) for the expression on the woman’s face. But that is why they don’t let me into fancy auction houses. Former taxi driver and current Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian thought it was worth 170 million bucks, and for that price bought it this week.
And here’s where it gets interesting. As Mashable reports, the financial press (but pretty much nobody else) found the painting too shocking to put on TV, and felt the need to fuzz out the naughty bits (tits included!) for its audience of stockbrokers and mature persons of business. CNBC, Bloomberg TV, the Financial Times — none of them thought their audiences could handle this boring old canvas in its filthy uncensored glory:
This cannot possibly be a “protect the children” impulse. How many children do you know who watch CNBC? Or who read the Financial Times? I can only speculate about the true motive, but to me it speaks of the reasons underlying the #pornocalypse. I’ve mentioned before that #pornocalypse begins to show its ugly ass when an internet company reaches that certain stage in its life-cycle where bankers and stockbrokers are getting involved. Steve Jobs {spit!} aside, the anti-sex squeamishness typically isn’t coming from the tech industry, it shows up when it’s time to start dealing in serious money.
I don’t know why financiers can’t handle a little bit of nudity in their financial reportage. But there’s nobody more slavish toward the whims of money than a financial press editor. I think we can safely trust that they know their moneyed audience. Call this proof of a sort: the #pornocalypse is an artifact of the prudishness of the rich.
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I haven’t seen such asinine undertakings since Bush era Attorney General John Ashcroft draped the Spirit of Justice statue because it’s toga didn’t cover one breast.
As one of this country’s last remaining investigative journalists I implore you to discover and reveal the name of the person or persons responsible, and ask them if they would censor the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the countless naked baby Jesus paintings from antiquity, that mostly once and/or currently adorn(ed) churches.
To minimize repeating myself excessively, I draw your attention to comments #8, #12, and #13 of
http://www.eros...fail/
I all but rolled on the floor guffawing at the fuzzing/black-barring of the breast depicted in profile, as it sports no nipple and is no more titilating than her elbow, which looks ever as much like a breast.
The naked human female is arguably the most beautiful thing on this planet, which is likely why its seems to be the favorite subject of artists through the ages.
I guess the censor was afraid that young boys seeing this image would involuntarily whip out their stiffening penises and spooge on the family TV screen.
Please Bacchus, I beg you. Interview the person responsible and reveal what they were thinking!
As you know, I don’t covet the title of journalist. Journalism is far too much like work, especially the investigative kind. What’s more, I’m afraid that trying to track down the “thinking” behind these black bars would be very much a snipe hunt…
I realize that its likely to be a bit of a snipe hunt, however this is serious stuff here! I also realize that not everyone has a sufficient art history background to even know who Modigliani was, much less the importance of this painting, but its recent sales price alone should tell the average thinking person that this is NOT porn!!! Modigliani’s works can be found on the covers of volumes of art history or anthological compilations.
Altering this awesome piece of art is a form of vandalism of the worst kind. It is not much different from throwing paint on the Mona Lisa.
The man who purchased this work plans to display it in Shanghai at one of his two private museums. It should be seen and not hidden or obscured. It is meant to be seen and enjoyed.
The mayor of Modigliani’s hometown is quite distraught that the Italian government failed to purchase the work and keep it in a PUBLIC museum where EVERYONE can see it. The operative word here being “EVERYONE”. In most of Europe, a woman’s body is not seen as being dirty and offensive to the eye as it apparently is by conservative corporate America.
The Puritan patriarchs that run America know that if you can control something as fundamental and basic as a man’s natural ability to appreciate a naked female, you can ultimately control anything and everything. If we allow the pornocalypse to continue, THAT’S exactly the world we’ll ALL have to live in.
You can be the beating of a butterfly’s wing my thirsty friend…
I admire your passion as always, Dr. Whiplash.
But will it help me pay off my student loans from the ’90s? ;-)
I hear ya buddy. But you underestimate the value of your own skills ( …and perhaps of your credentials). Woodward and Bernstein might well have thought the same thing, but I’ll bet they were later able to pay off THEIR student loans…
I also approve of the subject matter of your next post featuring Aria Alexander. Perhaps the proper response to it all, though I still see the potential value of the former proposition. Such an opportunity could put you on the map…