The indecency of depicting the Holy Mary naked in her nativity
Year mention: 1649
Subject:
Nativity of Mary (scenes from the life of Mary)
Conflict:
Inadequate manner
Indecency/Impropriety
Criticism:

Depict Virgin Mary naked on her birth

Agent:
Pacheco, Francisco

One of the scenes of the Virgin Mary’s life represented by the artists and criticized by Pacheco is concerning her birth. The author states that is indecent to depict her body naked: following the same “rule” which the artists should avoid to do it with the Infant Jesus representation, also, with the Virgin’s body as a child, “with even more reason, as she is a woman”.

“I caution against painting Our Lady nude (as most people do). And this is what I said at the beginning that I had to warn against in this painting; and if we avoid it in the Infant Jesus, in the Virgin, his Mother, with even more reason, as she is a woman. I do not know what excuse the painter has, who today, in the martyrdom of St. Thomas Cantuariense, in the Anglican College, painted in a child angel that brings garland and palm to the holy martyr, a naked girl, something that should be covered by the offence of chaste eyes.”

“Advirtiendo, con esto, se huya, en todo caso, de pintar a Nuestra Señora desnuda (como hacen los más). Y esto es lo que dije al principio que tenia que advertir en esta pintura; y si la escusamos en el Niño Jesús, en la Virgen, su Madre, con más razón, por ser mujer. No sé que disculpa tiene el pintor, que hoy día, en el martirio de Santo Tomás cantuariense, en el Colegio Anglicos, pintó en un ángel niño que trae guirnalda y palma al santo mártir, conocidamente, una muchacha desnuda, cosa que debiera cubrir por la ofensa de los ojos castos.”

Quoted Authorities

Molanus, book 2,ch. 42, 119-121

Model to follow

Cornelis Cort, Birth of the Virgin, 1578
Francesco Villamena (unknown)
Mase Pedro Campaña, painted board of an altarpiece bench in San Lorenzo Church in Seville, 16th century (unknown).

Keywords
Anna (St.), baby, Bible, child, family, infancy, Joachim (St.), Mary (Virgin), mother, mother and child, New Testament, youth

Date mention
1649

Historical Location
Nederland

Type of Object
Printmaking
painting

Iconclass Number
73A3

Source
Pacheco, El Arte de la pintura (1649), book 3, ch.11, 578
Literature

Pacheco 1990, 578, n. 40,42-44

Permanent Link
https://www.sacrima.eu/case/the-indecency-of-depicting-the-holy-mary-naked-in-her-nativity/