The influence of Christianity is manifest in artworks. Not only did Christianity alter the nudity display in arts, it also changed the fundamental artist-patron system, and, subsequently, the output of artists. As mentioned in the talk delivered by Professor Plesch, the focus of art shifted largely towards the abstract depiction of “afterlife” with the expansion of Christianity. Because its emphasis on chastity, the study in nudity is unmotivated, even suppressed. Unclothed humans are often pictured as sinful and venerable.
This culture was overthrown during a critical period in art, Renaissance. It is a golden period of rediscovery of Greco-Roman arts, introducing ancient Greek athletic figures as symbols of reincarnation of antiquity [1]. Famous examples include David, a Biblical hero. Adam and Eve are also featured in numerous Renaissance artworks as naked figures. And because of their very Biblical nature, depictions of Adam and Eve allow artists to bypass religious censorship. There are no compromises that cannot be made as long as they enable the artists to paint the nude! For example, in Hans Baldung’s Death and the Maiden, the artist successfully pacified the church by calling the subjects drawn in the art as Adam and Eve—do they look like Adam and Eve to you [2]?
References:
[1]Sorabella, Jean. “The Nude in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
[2] “The Nude in Art – The Renaissance.” The Nude in Art – The Renaissance. Ichor Gallery, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.