No nude, however abstract, should fail to arouse in the spectator some vestige of erotic feeling, even if it be only the faintest shadow - and if it does not do so it is bad art and false morals.
Interpretation
Art, particularly nudes, should evoke some level of erotic response in the viewer to be considered impactful.
In this quote, Kenneth Clark argues that the portrayal of nudes in art is fundamentally linked to the viewer's emotional and erotic response. He suggests that if a piece fails to trigger even a minimal sense of eroticism, it is indicative of poor artistic quality and possibly a failure of moral representation, highlighting the intrinsic relationship between art and human feelings.
In practice
A discussion on the role of nudes in art history during an art class.
The recognized achievements of some Negroes, despite rigid racial barriers, indicate that society by its prejudices may be depriving itself of valuable contributions from many others. It is now doubtful whether America can afford the luxury of such a waste of human resources.
Racial prejudices are indication of a disturbed and potentially unstable society.
You can't trust an artist that just makes good records.
Writing poetry is what I am. I wouldn’t know what else to be.
One must be a living man and a posthumous artist.
If I've done my work well, I vanish completely from the scene. I believe it is invasive of the work when you know too much about the writer.
Since art is a virtue of the intellect, it demands to communicate with the entire universe of the intellect. Hence it is that the normal climate of art is intelligence and knowledge: its normal soil, the civilized heritage of a consistent and integrated system of beliefs and values; its normal horizon , the infinity of human experience enlighted by the passionate insight of anguish or the intellectual virtues of a contemplative mind.
No sensible author wants anything but praise.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.