We can’t erase the past! Fury as nymph painting is removed by gallery
A VICTORIAN painting of a Greek myth has become the latest victim of the global backlash against sexism.
The Pre-Raphaelite picture, featuring a gaggle of topless auburn-haired water nymphs, has disappeared from the walls of Manchester Art Gallery.
The controversial decision to remove the painting comes in the wake of the Hollywood MeToo movement and the banning of Formula 1 “grid girls”.
But critics say a visit to many European beaches would reveal far more public nudity.
The portrayal of the Greek myth Hylas And The Nymphs was painted by John William Waterhouse in the 1890s.
In place of the painting, which is now skulking in a storeroom to protect sensitive 21st century art lovers, is a handwritten poster.
It declares that the removal is “to prompt conversation about how we display and interpret artworks in Manchester’s collection”.
It adds: “This gallery presents the female body as either a ‘passive decorative form’ or a ‘femme fatale’. Let’s challenge this Victorian fantasy. The gallery exists in a world full of intertwined issues of gender, race, sexuality and class which affect us all. How could artworks speak in more contemporary, relevant ways?”
Gallery bosses said the removal of the painting was an artistic act by artist Sonia Boyce. And the poster is plastered with yellow sticky notes carrying comments by visitors.
But the reaction on social media has been almost universally hostile. One tweet read: “If removing art to appease establishment mores is ‘art’, then I guess the Nazis were pioneers in the field.”
Dr Anna Maria Barry tweeted: “It is not only ridiculous but borderline offensive to conflate this cheap publicity stunt with important MeToo debates.”
Katherine Woolf tweeted: “We can’t and shouldn’t try to erase the past. We need to engage with the present. Give female artists more funding and more space to express their views and ideas.” Saffron Blaze tweeted: “You just told millions of women they need to be ashamed of their body. Burqas for all.”
Another Twitter user, Sarah M, wrote: “If anyone is offended by this painting then there is something seriously wrong with them.”
Alan Rain took a harder line declaring: “They need to put it back and stop pretending to be the Taliban.”
Not everyone was outraged. Rachel Coldicutt said: “Galleries don’t have to promote compliant, eroticised images of women”.
Lending weight to the publicity stunt theory, gallery bosses tweeted: “However you may feel, it has provoked discussion.”
YET more madness: Manchester Art Gallery has removed PreRaphaelite painting Hylas And The Nymphs for reasons that are disputed but would seem to be part of the global sexism backlash.
How long before we start covering table legs as the Victorians did out of a heightened sense of prudery? How long before we finally regain some common sense?