The Vatican’s Fig Leaf Campaign
How and why the classical antiques were censored in the Medieval period
Source- Wikipedia
In 1563, the Council of Trent launched the ‘Fig Leaf Campaign’ to camouflage the penises and public hair visible in art across Italy. The cover-up choice was a ‘Fig Leaf’.
The fig leaf campaign became a significant art censorship movement in the medieval period. The fig leaves were synonymous with sin, sex, and censorship.
Why the fig leaf campaign
Until the 1400s, Romans were traditionally inspired by Greek art. The ancient marble sculptures were chiseled with a nude body and that represented honor and virtue. The naked idols symbolized purity.
But in the 1500s, the acts of art censorship began when the Counter-Reformation took over the Vatican and started portraying nudity as immodest and obscene.
In an effort to counter Protestantism’s growing popularity, Catholic leaders spread the message that:
“We must stop shielding ourselves behind a culture of art and forsaking religion.”
The Roman Catholic Church initiated the censorship campaign with Michelangelo’s David. Powerful clergymen wanted to clothe the nude David.
