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‘Pornographic’ Discussions About The Statue Of David

‘Pornographic’ Discussions About The Statue Of David

Showing the statue of David (David) by Michelangelo to students in a school in the USA and forcing the school principal to resign after the parents’ reaction to the ‘nudity’ was met with reaction in Italy.

A group of parents complained about showing the statue of David to 6th grade students aged 11-12 in the Renaissance class at Tallahassee Classical School in Florida, USA.

According to BBC Turkish, the Board of Trustees informed the school principal, Hope Carrasquilla, that she would be fired if she did not resign. Carrasquilla resigned last week.

According to the news in the USA about the incident, two of the parents complained that they were not informed beforehand that a nude statue would be shown to their children, while one parent described the statue of David as “pornographic”.

This debate in the USA about David, one of the most recognizable sculptures in the history of Western art and considered one of Italy’s Renaissance masterpieces, echoed in Italy as well.

INVITATION FROM FLORENCE TO THE MANAGER

Dario Nardella, the mayor of the city of Florence, where the statue is on display, was also involved, saying, “Pornography and missing artwork is nonsense.” Nardella announced that by inviting the US director, who was forced to resign, to Florence, he would both allow him to see the original of the statue closely and give him an award on behalf of the city.
Discussions about the statue of David, one of Italy’s sources of pride, were interpreted as “culture wars” by the country’s best-selling newspaper, Corriere della Sera.

statue of David

“In America, where conservative states have shifted curriculum choices from teachers to families, the culture war over education produces monsters,” the newspaper wrote.

Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian Catholic Church, said, “Michelangelo’s David is unlikely to be described as ‘pornographic’ in Europe. However, the general ideological system is also making religious propaganda here.”

The newspaper La Nazione, published in Florence, used the headline “What nonsense. David is the symbol of freedom” in an interview with art historian Paola Cammeo.

Commenting on the news about the sculpture controversy, Cammeo said, “Art teaches us to hide absolutely nothing. I think true pornography is ignorance.”

The original 5-metre statue of David, made by Michelangelo in the 16th century, is on display at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence. A copy of the statue is in Piazza della Signoria square in front of Florence’s city hall.

Former Florence Prime Minister Matteo Renzi held a joint press conference with then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel in front of the statue of David in 2015.

Explaining the choice of venue for the press conference, Renzi said, “We chose Florence because it represents beauty. David is the symbol of how Europe should stand on the world stage.”

Gül Demirci

Hi, I'm Gul. I am a writer for Expat Guide Turkey and I strive to create the best content for you. To contact me, you can send an e-mail to info@expatguideturkey.com. Happy reading!

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