In the present time, obscene pictures are already few people surprised, and the real interest they arouse more in young people. Just with the advent of the Internet all this has become too accessible, and therefore lost its value, and the quality of most of these creations do not withstand any criticism, and certainly they can not be attributed to art. However, before it was not so, “drawings for adults” sold for much more expensive than ordinary paintings, and their creation did not hesitate to engage even famous artists. We will talk about the history of “adult pictures” in painting in this article.
Raphael Santi. The Triumph of Galatea. Fragment: Abduction
The mass distribution of “adult drawings” in Europe began with the invention of the first printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. Of course, it was originally invented and used to distribute the Bible, the Hour Book and Lives of the Saints, but gradually, with the development of printing, it came to secular books and prints. Clever book printers quickly realized that for pictures for adults can ask for much more expensive, so clandestinely and produced them, attracting to their engraving real artists and engravers, in particular, Agostino Carracci (1557-1602). He often made copies of the famous paintings of Tintoretto “Crucifixion” and “St. Jerome”, some artworks by Federico Barotti, Correggio and other artists, but he became famous not for them, but for his own pictures, which were far from godly.
Agostino Carracci. Jupiter embracing Juno
He did not publicize his activities too much, quite reasonably fearing to fall into the hands of the Inquisitors, but the right people knew about them. Of course, such artwork was expensive and illegal at the time, but it was gradually spreading among the common people, not just the chosen aristocrats. All this seriously disturbed the clergy and some humanists.
Antonio Carracci. Everything wins over gold.
During the Renaissance, many much more famous artists, even Raphael and Botticelli, began to paint nudes. It was a kind of reference to antiquity, the cult of the beauty of the nude body. However, many such artworks were still painted exclusively to order, intended for “the contemplation of young aristocratic men”. Indeed, the opportunity to show off such a picture in front of close friends for wealthy scions of famous families was worth a lot and testified to the unconditional belonging to the elite. But at the same time, it was considered good manners to admire the artist's skill without giving in to any physical desires. It was pure art, interesting to respectable gentlemen, not lewd pictures for pining sailors without women.
Raphael Santi. The Three Graces
However, there were also many simpler products for sailors, but the theme was usually the same - all kinds of nude goddesses and naiads, but certainly not ordinary people. It was believed that it was acceptable to depict nude only non-existent in reality characters, because the paintings of Francisco Goya “Maha nude” and Edward Manet's “Olympia” later caused such a scandal.
Edouard Manet. Olympia.
However, the available goddesses, naiads and some biblical characters such as Eve, Dalila and Judith were enough to paint many female nudes on a variety of subjects - to stigmatize the sins of pride, lust, irrepressible curiosity and lust and to extol the virtues of love, fertility and Christian marriage.
Titian. Venus Anadiomena
The churchmen themselves were happy to order nudes for themselves and the needs of the church, but one thing - pious fathers, and another - ordinary people, far from holiness. That is why they fought against such printed matter, but usually without success.
“The Bathing of Bathsheba from Louis XII's Book of Hours
Some artists, such as Giulio Romano, who studied under Raphael himself, specialized in immodest paintings that were used to paint the palaces of the local nobility.
Marcantonio Raimondi based on Giulio Romano, engraving from the series “I Modi” (XVI century).
But another artist, Marcantonio Raimondi, was not so lucky. He was imprisoned for the series of engravings “Love Poses” that he copied. However, there was no stopping the process.
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