DAY 219

ARTISTIC ODDITIES

Fig Leaves

COVER THINE NAKEDNESS

“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.”

—Genesis 3:7 Holy Bible NRSV: Catholic Edition

With that one simple verse, the fig leaf became a symbol of censorship and has been used for ages to cover up not just nakedness, but anything that “the powers that be” might find offensive.

Following the Renaissance, a movement toward modesty and propriety resulted in the application of fig leaves over paintings, sculptures, and any other art that showcased exposed genitals. Even the work of great masters was not immune.

Bronze sculpture sporting a fig leaf.

There is some controversy about restoring these works to their original non-fig-leaf glory. In many cases, removing the fig leaves could do more damage to the original than leaving them in place, especially in cases where the leaves were attached to sculptures using rods drilled into the stone. Ouch!

In either case, fig leaves probably aren’t going anywhere any time soon. We can only hope that people today have the good sense not to haphazardly and permanently attach them to anything they might deem offensive. —GRG