Italian art experts accused of censoring phallic fresco

The Telegraph ^ | Monday 22 August 2011

[woofie]

Italian art experts who restored a cryptic medieval fresco depicting a tree of fertility have been accused of censoring the work by painting over the numerous phalluses which dangle from its boughs.

The unusual 13th century Tree of Fertility fresco was discovered by chance a decade ago in the Tuscan town of Massa Marittima and has recently been subjected to a three-year restoration.

The experts who carried out the restoration have been accused of sanitizing the mural by scrubbing out or altering some of the testicles, which hang from the tree's branches along with around 25 phalluses. "Many parts of the work seem to have been arbitrarily repainted," said Gabriele Galeotti, a town councillor who has called for an investigation after seeing the finished work.

[martin_fierro]

ANYTHING I'D POST WOULD JUST GET ME BANNED

♀☹☠☣☢★☆ MANGLED GENITALS PING ☆★☢☣☠☹♂

[Lady Jag]

Changing history is abhorrent.

[bigheadfred]

brag brag brag

Hey, WJ, isn’t that a deadly sin? DO SOMETHING!

[Winstons Julia]

Now now ... don’t get excited. Bragging is not a deadly sin.

Nor is begging.... but begging WHILE bragging should be ... and I digress...

But digression is not a deadly sin.

Unless you beg while bragging about digressing .....

But I divert....

And this makes me much like modern religion.

[SunkenCiv]

The Sistine Chapel was lousy with nudity, thanks to the genius Michelangelo, and in the decades after subsequent Popes hired “breeches painters” to twine vines and such over the private and quite naughty parts. Those were removed during the restoration in the late 20th c.

[SunkenCiv]

I don’t know why, you’re one of FreeRepublic’s favorite members.

[bigheadfred]

Bragging is not a deadly sin.

For a priest, you don't know a damned thing.

[colorado tanker]

This seems to be a variation on the Tree of Life, the ancient fertility symbol. It's a very unusual piece, however, for Medieval Western Europe.

I'd hate to think any modern Western art scholar would deface a painting in restoration by altering its appearance.

[Winstons Julia]

I never said I was a priest.

That would be bragging.

[martin_fierro]

you’re one of FreeRepublic’s favorite members.

[colorado tanker]

Go here for a close-up showing the images. http://www.beyond-the-pale.org.uk/zxMassa.htm

This site also has an alternative explanation for the mural as having nothing to do with fertility, but complex imagery warning that if the Ghibelline party were to take over they city would be, well, screwed. The menacing eagles support that interpretation as they were a symbol of the Ghibelline or Imperial Party. Massa was a wealthy Guelph, or Papal city.

Maybe the mural survived because others thought it was a fertility piece and not political art.

[bigheadfred]

Yes, I knew it was a leap, but when you said Just remember to store some of them in a tight, dark space for the winter I figured it was one of those pairoballs and meant you know about sticking things in places you hope no ever finds out about and that's things a priest would know.

[SunkenCiv]

The Middle Ages produced some very powerful and very odd art like Bosch and Grunevald:

http://www.sci-fi-o-rama.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/gruen.jpg
http://gatesthecomic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/hieronymus_bosch_hal-hefner_gates_heavy-metal-1.jpg

[SunkenCiv]

most people would be able to tell at a glanse.

[colorado tanker]

I love Bosch's stuff. Incredible imagery.

But I am fascinated by Medieval Europe and have never thought it was the cultural wasteland that is popularly assumed.

[Winstons Julia]

The art of subtlety goes poof.

[bigheadfred]

You people are great. But it's my bath time. Gotta go wash off the fruits of in my laver.

[Winstons Julia]

They were worldly. They were pragmatic. They were practical.

They were spiritual, but knew the hypocrisy they lived under.

[Slings and Arrows]

Barney Frank would show up, but he's busy on the DSK thread.

[Daffynition]

Got a cool $2.1M...it's for sale.