Eureka!

[Nearly Sane]

Disappointed that no one said "μὴ μου τοὺς κύκλους τάραττε!"




http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/23/naked-greek-statue-could-distract-drivers-hampshire-village/

[Rhiannon]

I really really hope that when it's illuminated at night it's like those fibre optic Christmas trees that keep changing colour.

[Sriram]

Disappointed that no one said "μὴ μου τοὺς κύκλους τάραττε!"




http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/23/naked-greek-statue-could-distract-drivers-hampshire-village/

What is this fascination with nakedness anyway? Why is it 'art' only if someone is naked? Archimedes may not have liked a naked statue of himself. Some dignity here please......

[Rhiannon]

I like the idea we are supposed to find it inspirational. Yes, I'm inspired to find a naked man that's nine foot tall.

[Nearly Sane]

What is this fascination with nakedness anyway? Why is it 'art' only if someone is naked? Archimedes may not have liked a naked statue of himself. Some dignity here please......

You mean like jumping out of your bath and running down the street shouting 'Eureka!' in a society where athletes performed nude and much art was based around the nude?

You seem seem deeply uncomfortable in your own skin.

[Rhiannon]

Yes, nudity and naked statues weren't exactly unknown to the Greeks. Sriram's attitude isn't unusual though - the neighbour in the article thinks the nudiness is offensive.

[floo]

I am of the opinion the human body is better covered up. The sight of a statue of a naked body wouldn't put me off my driving, YAWN!

[Nearly Sane]

Yes, nudity and naked statues weren't exactly unknown to the Greeks. Sriram's attitude isn't unusual though - the neighbour in the article thinks the nudiness is offensive.

Didn't comment on it being unusual. Just seems that those uncomfortable with nudity are the ones 'fascinated' by it.

[Rhiannon]

Didn't comment on it being unusual. Just seems that those uncomfortable with nudity are the ones 'fascinated' by it.

Very true.

Although I'm wondering how accommodating the local parish council would be if this were a contemporary piece rather than a classical one.

[Nearly Sane]

Very true.

Although I'm wondering how accommodating the local parish council would be if this were a contemporary piece rather than a classical one.

Might need a whisp of muslin.

[Sriram]

You mean like jumping out of your bath and running down the street shouting 'Eureka!' in a society where athletes performed nude and much art was based around the nude?

You seem seem deeply uncomfortable in your own skin.

Why was 'much art based around the nude'? That is the point. You are taking that as a given. Much art even today (in the west) is based around the nude for that matter. The question is, what is the fascination with nakedness!

As usual, you would digress! 

[Rhiannon]

Why was 'much art based around the nude'? That is the point. You are taking that as a given. Much art even today (in the west) is based around the nude for that matter. The question is, what is the fascination with nakedness!

As usual, you would digress! 

It isn't fascination, it is acceptance.

[Nearly Sane]

Why was 'much art based around the nude'? That is the point. You are taking that as a given. Much art even today (in the west) is based around the nude for that matter. The question is, what is the fascination with nakedness!

As usual, you would digress! 

How is pointing out facts about Archimedes' society a digression? The Grerks saw the nude as a beautiful thing. Why is that  wrong?

[Udayana]

It isn't fascination, it is acceptance.

Yes. Much of art is about exposing truth and many angry reactions are from people not wanting to accept it.

Though, weren't many classical statues actually painted and clothed?

[Nearly Sane]

Yes. Much of art is about exposing truth and many angry reactions are from people not wanting to accept it.

Though, weren't many classical statues actually painted and clothed?

Many were. It depends on what the statues were  meant to represent, though it should be noted that statuary is a relative small amount of the art to have survived in comparison to representations on urns. Also the number of female nudes is comparitively smaller than male nudes vs their clothed counterparts i.e. female nudes % of total female representation.

[Robbie]

I can't think that that statue would distract anyone, it's classical type sculpture. Classical statues,paintings and drawings showing carefully posed naked humans don't titillate anybody as far as I know. There's nothing obscene about them (i don't think anyone said they were) & if they really look like humans i.e. the artist has studied anatomy, they're quite beautiful.

(Should not be confused with 'artistic' depictions of naked or seminaked people designed to be deliberately provocative which aren't particulary realistic, saw some on telly once and thought 'yeuch, porny'. Another person may have liked them I suppose.)

Must admit if I was driving past that statue i'd probably not notice it, statues are all over the place.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Sane,

Poetic licence everybody knows Archimedes was a wee bald fat man, well known fact

Anyway, its not art, where's the urn or the pillars, and at a pinch the wee flying cupid, true art needs one of the three, well according to Sergeant Colon of Anhk Morporks finest.

Gonnagle.

[Harrowby Hall]

Many were. It depends on what the statues were  meant to represent, though it should be noted that statuary is a relative small amount of the art to have survived in comparison to representations on urns. Also the number of female nudes is comparitively smaller than male nudes vs their clothed counterparts i.e. female nudes % of total female representation.

Interesting programmes on either BBC 2 or BBC 4 a few months ago on the history of women. It would seem that, in ancient Greece, the status of women was rather like that of women in extreme Islamic societies today - they stayed indoors and if they went out they were well-wrapped up in order to be as anonymous as possible. It may be that "Islamic" dress may be nothing more than Ancient Greek dress. So much for the birthplace of civilisation ...

[floo]

There is nothing attractive about a guy's dangly bits, although of course they have their uses from time to time!

[Nearly Sane]

Interesting programmes on either BBC 2 or BBC 4 a few months ago on the history of women. It would seem that, in ancient Greece, the status of women was rather like that of women in extreme Islamic societies today - they stayed indoors and if they went out they were well-wrapped up in order to be as anonymous as possible. It may be that "Islamic" dress may be nothing more than Ancient Greek dress. So much for the birthplace of civilisation ...

Mmm I think there are a number of things to be careful of here. First is testing Greece as a homogenous society in the ancient world. Certainly Athens despite its reputation had virtually no concept of woman's rights. In Sparta, on the other hand, they could and did own property, often considerable amounts.

Secondly, I don't think that on the basis of clothing it's easy to trace a direct lineage to Muslim dressing customers. From the representations in art, they were a lot more recognisable, further much clothing was essentially unisex in its design. Women certainly were more likely to have more undergarments, but that is hardly unusual. Anyhoo, interesting as this is, it feels a bit of a derail