Fig Leaf: The Biggest Cover-Up in History
Stephen Smith uncovers the secret history of the humble fig leaf, opening a window onto 2,000 years of western art and ethics, from Michelangelo, Bernini and Rodin to modern art.
Writer and broadcaster Stephen Smith uncovers the secret history of the humble fig leaf, opening a window onto 2,000 years of western art and ethics.
He tells how the work of Michelangelo, known to his contemporaries as 'the maker of pork things', fuelled the infamous 'fig leaf campaign', the greatest cover-up in art history, how Bernini turned censorship into a new form of erotica by replacing the fig leaf with the slipping gauze, and how the ingenious machinations of Rodin brought nudity back to the public eye.
In telling this story, Smith turns many of our deepest prejudices upside down, showing how the Victorians had a far more sophisticated and mature attitude to sexuality than we do today. He ends with an impassioned plea for the widespread return of the fig leaf to redeem modern art from cheap sensation and innuendo.
Last on
Stephen Smith explores how art reflects our conflicting attitudes to our bodies.
Clip
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The unveiling of Michelangelo's David
Duration: 01:19
Music Played
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Johnny Cash
Folsom Prison Blues
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Stephen Smith |
Writer | Stephen Smith |
Producer | Rosie Schellenberg |
Director | Rosie Schellenberg |
Executive Producer | Jonty Claypole |
Broadcasts
- Thu 10 Feb 2011 21:00
- Fri 11 Feb 2011 00:00
- Fri 11 Feb 2011 02:45
- Wed 16 Feb 2011 01:00
- Tue 22 Feb 2011 00:00
- Thu 19 Jan 2012 22:00
- Fri 20 Jan 2012 03:35
- Thu 17 Jan 2013 00:00
- Tue 5 Mar 2013 23:30
- Fri 16 Aug 2013 01:15
- Tue 5 May 2015 23:00
- Thu 26 Nov 2015 00:00
- Wed 22 Feb 2017 01:00
- Tue 7 Aug 2018 02:00
- Sun 2 Feb 2020 23:00
- Mon 12 Jul 2021 22:50
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