Michael Spencer posts this picture of Titian's Adam and Eve and asks:Are you offended? Why or why not? Would you show this painting to your congregation (including children and young people) or Bible class as an illustration? Explain. If someone said this was offensive to them as a illustration, what would you do?
How would you respond?
2 comments:
I wouldn't be offended, honestly, I would describe it more as embarrassed or uncomfortable because I'm not comfortable with seeing a woman who is not my wife topless. That's just my own acknowledgment of my conservative upbringing and no reflection on what might be perceived as the artists attempt to try and offend someone.
As for whether I would use it as an illustration in a Sunday School class, I think it has some value in being able to point out the artists depiction and comparing it to the biblical account to help clarify how the painting might be trying to communicate more than just a literal account of the story and how that might facilitate somebody's understanding of the biblical account.
I think art like the one shown here has a purpose to communicate larger ideas than can be gotten from literal accounts, but still ring true to the account in a way that provides some broadening of the central ideas given.
I'm not offended because of the nudity. I just wonder why Adam and Eve are always portrayed as light skin. You know... kind of like Jesus.... the Jewish carpenter.I guess that offends me more
paul
Post a Comment