If you’ve ever taken a child to an art museum, chances are that they’ll quickly point out that “those people don’t have any clothes on!” Nude art—whether in paintings or statues—has been part of our artistic tradition for thousands of years, but that doesn’t stop kids from getting the giggles.
As a parent, you might hesitate and wonder whether you should be allowing your children to see these images. After all, we’re becoming more and more conscious that pornography does great harm to children and to adults and will go to great lengths to protect our children from exposure to naked images.
However, while both pornography and a lot of art show unclothed people, there are some key distinctions. The primary one is that pornography is designed to arouse people sexually. At least when we’re speaking of classical nude art, its purpose is to show the beauty of the human form—usually with an air of innocence and beauty.
So should your children look at nude art? Should you? Here are a few points to consider:
Do you personally find nude art to be sexually provocative?
Regardless of the artist’s intent, if you find nude forms to be a source of temptation for you, then you may choose to stay away. Especially if you are struggling with using pornography, if this kind of art is a trigger, there are always other galleries in the art museum!
Are you willing to talk to your children about art?
Chances are, your kids will be stifling some laughs when they see pieces of nude art. That’s a pretty normal kid reaction. However, it also can be a great opportunity to let them know that the human body is something designed by God to be beautiful. In fact, artists considered it to be one of the greatest skills to be able to effectively capture the magnificence of the human form. While there are some images and videos that seek to degrade our bodies and sexuality, this art shows the wonder of God’s creation.
Does your child feel comfortable asking you questions about the human body?
When it comes to building a relationship of trust with our kids, these questions can lead to important learning moments. Your younger kids might have questions about the human body itself and the difference in female and male body parts. Older kids may feel a bit uncomfortable, confused about why they feel embarrassed or even attracted to the art. This can actually be a great, safe, opportunity to talk about a little bit about human sexuality or simply to experience together that the naked human body itself is actually good and beautiful, when depicted in the right way.
So will you take your kids to art museums where they’ll see nude art? It will probably depend on your personal circumstances. But if you do, prepare yourself that your kids might have questions. Or they may not pay much attention at all—after all, the human body is one of the most natural things in the world.
I was brought up when my brother and I were not allowed to see each other naked , not even allowed the share the same bath and not even use the toilet when any of us was being washed ; I am saying this during our early childhood. On the other hand some of our cousins used to share the bath even when they were a brother and sister. Nowadays I’m hearing of the whole family sharing the same bathroom.
I do not feel anything wrong with children seeing nude art and here I am not mentioning pornography , I do not condone that. There were even times my parents told us we used to ask why were boys and girls shaped differently!
This is something I have often wondered about .I only know that my husband who I learned after we were married was very immoral enjoyed classical nude art.
I have only just seen this article and the following comments but I would like to comment also. As a Christian, homeschooling Mum I believed I was doing my children a favour by having art books with famous scuptures and paintings of many things, including nude images of men and women. I believed I was exposing my children to culture. I have since discovered that these nude images led two of my sons into a hidden, 2 year pornography addiction among other sinful behaviour. The trauma, guilt and consequences for our entire family after this was all discovered is not really explainable. I have since struggled with this issue. Is it art and part of a well-rounded classical education or is it porn? I know the Bible says nudity between a man and his wife is a good and healthy thing. But I have to conclude that nakedness in any other setting other than a marriage relationship must be considered by God as wrong. So whether your 3 year old runs through a party naked or someone performs for the camera in a Playboy magazine or a great artist uses his talent to produce naked paintings or scuplture, I have to conclude it propbably isn’t God’s design for nakedness. I would appreciate more thoughts on this. And my sons are now free of porn and pursuing their studies for God.
Hey Ruth. I really think the problem is not the nakedness iself, but the way that we think about it. We can sexually objectify another person at any time, regardless of the clothing or lack of clothing that they’re wearing. The problem isn’t in the other person. The problem is in ourselves and how we choose to view that person. Even if our kids never seen classical nude art, they’re probably going to be exposed to porn. And when they are, it would be great if they were prepared with the idea that every person is created in the image of God, precious, valuable–and not an object to be used for our own sexual gratification. Instead of avoiding everything about sexuality and nudity, I think we need to be teaching our kids what it means to respect people in the sexual realm, regardless of how many clothes they are or aren’t wearing. Blessings, Kay
Do you know that all figures in Michelangelo’s masterpiece “The Last Judgement ” were all painted nude ,including Christ and the Blessed Virgin. Soon a later pope ordered all figures clothed and “Il-Braghettone” was chosen for this work. Maybe if he had ordered the clothing of the 2 divine figures it would have been enough.
Later on during St Pope John Paul 11’s time most figures were unclothed again except 17 of them and this in the Sistine Chapel!
Nude art is one thing , pornography is another. Once before mass at Santa Maria Maggiore , Rome I saw a priest hearing confessions in English and went to him. I told him that I enjoyed seeing “bad films and literature”.
He asked me whether these were pornographic and when answering in the negative he told me that it was at most a venial sin , since they were not pornographic.
yes. All ages should be allowed to see the nude form. The nude form is way more beutiful that the clothed forms. The nude form real of imitation shows what God made. Don’t give the nude person real or fake guilt. That is not a thing that God gives.
Loling at sexually repressed Ameriburgers that can’t dissociate nudity from sexuality. Jesus I fear the day these people visit a sauna.
In the original Greek transcript of the bible, Jesus was specifically talking about obsessing over someone else’s wife. The English translators missed the point.
A few weeks ago, I went to my first oriental bath with some girl friends. They section the wet section off to rooms for just men and just women (and children up to two years old). Why is this significant? Because the baths are enjoyed without clothing. My friends were horrified at first! They had to strip buck naked in front of other women. Every other woman was going to see their hairy moles, their fat rolls, their boobs (or lack thereof), etc. So why are these baths so popular? Freedom to be as God made us. You see, we Americans, are heavily influenced by Puritanical ethics and so little wonder that we have body issues! We live in constant fear that we’re not going to measure up. We go on the latest diets, do the latest exercises, etc but we aren’t comfortable in our own bodies. In a place where everyone is naked with their own sex, no one will proudly judge you because everyone is too busy with their own perceived flaws. Not even porn will give that perspective because it is too busy trying to make humanistic perfection with makeup or camera angles. Someone brought up nursing and I chuckled a little because I did nurse training. I still do observe the occasional catheter because it’s my job to make sure the patient doesnt tug it off. It’s not special graces. It’s coming to the conclusion that no one has unique equipment and it’s a matter of fact procedure. You respect the patient’s privacy where you can, but ultimately it’s for the patient’s sake and not for the nurse. Where am I going with all of this? I guess, like the article said, much of your approach to nude art will depend on your culture. American culture holds breasts to be a sexual fettish rather than a tool for nursing infants. Other cultures think we’re crazy for that. It might help to read stuff on Theology of the body by JPII and subscribe less to Puritan ethos. Also “Love and Responsibility” by Karol Wojtyla is philosophically dense, but a good read on the human person. On a whole, you will gain more from teaching kids a proper understanding of the human body than from shying from the topic.
Eh, I choose to read the bible and allow it to interpret itself, rather than be educated by someone who just decides “this is ok, that other thing isn’t.” I’ve already presented ample evidence from the scriptures that public nudity is not acceptable, and I have yet to see anyone argue from the scriptures otherwise. You merely come up with theological books and cultural norms, euphemisms of what is clearly stated in the scripture. If you want to tickle your itching ears and gather around yourselves false teachings, I’m sure I can come up with even greater teachers that look like real Christians and can preach a great sermon, though I doubt they will quote much actual scripture.
Jeremiah, you cannot compare your interpretation of the Bible and some one else’s, and simply say yours is better by masking you opinion. You say that “I choose to read the bible and allow it to interpret itself,” but you, as the reader, have to interpret it yourself because you are the one processing the text in your brain. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Your “facts” have no basis because they are completely opinionated and biased.