The concept of the male nude is still somewhat of a controversial issue, and a new art exhibition in Paris is raising a new eyebrows as a result. The Musee d’Orsay in Paris recently opened a new exhibition regarding male nudity ranging from classical heroes through modern day celebrities. The work comes from an exhibit that debuted in Vienna last year that featured statues of nude men throughout the city. Paris is one of twelve cities that have received pieces from the initial exhibit in Austria.

The Art

The pieces were created by the French pair Pierre et Gilles and is known as “Vive la France.” While a bit shocking at first, the art is not intended to be upsetting or even controversial. Masculinity is seen as a very different experience than female nudity. While male nudity is nothing new in art, in modern day it has become somewhat of an embarrassing issue. The art in Paris is looking to break down this barrier and return the subject to the present day. Looking back in history, it was very common for male nudes to be created in statues and paintings. Perhaps one of the world’s most famous statues, David, is exactly that. The world has changed greatly from that time, to that of shame and embarrassment when it comes to male nudes.

The Exhibit

The exhibit is located on the banks of the Seine River in a former rail station. The art will be shared with other classical pieces including works by Monet, Degas and Renoir. It is not intended to be scandalous in nature and those expecting something more transgressive and shocking are likely to be disappointed with the art. The nude pieces will be arranged in different themes with the time periods of the art scattered between the areas. The main idea with this is to draw comparisons between different time periods and see how the perception of the art has changed over this time. For instance, a painting by Gustave Moreau can be found next to a topless portrait of American rapper Eminem. Seeing the differences in these pieces can help the public draw the comparisons between the different time periods and what has changed.

Reactions

Thus far, reactions to the exhibit have been positive. The general consensus is that the male nudes have been largely underappreciated for quite some time. It is refreshing to see it make a comeback in the art world. As a country, France has undergone recent social and political movements that made it the right time for such an exhibit. With gay marriage now legal in France, the social climate made the timing even better for such an exhibit. With the violence on the streets of France in reaction to the approval of gay marriage, museums want to show that they are not afraid to handle subjects such as these. It shows that the museum is not willing to take a step back when it comes to art just to maintain current public perceptions.

The exhibit opened on September 24 in Paris.