Art with a Disclaimer

I work at an art museum. Yes, it’s a fabulous place to work. No, I don’t get to handle the artwork. And no, I won’t tell you the name of the museum because I don’t want my blog popping up in the Google Alerts for the PR department.

A large portion of the Museum’s permanent collection is Baroque art. Think dramatic, colorful paintings full of large, fleshy nudes.

Rubens, Peter Paul (1577-1640)
The Union of Earth and Water, 1618
Oil on Canvas
The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

The collection includes many paintings by Peter Paul Rubens like the one above from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Several years ago as I walked through the Museum lobby, a woman in her sixties stopped me and exclaimed,

“You shouldn’t allow children in here with all this nudity! It’s disgraceful!”

She didn’t wait for a response and turned on her heel to leave. I let out a small giggle as the woman brusquely walked out the front door side-stepping an elementary school group.

Through the years, I’ve occasionally heard similar comments. Some visitors have suggested that we put up disclaimers or warnings about the nudity. I’ve always chalked it up to someone being a little narrow-minded or not familiar with art history.

Granted there have been some traveling exhibitions (mostly photojournalism) at the Museum that contained disturbing images of violence or a controversial topic. For those instances, the curators posted disclaimers and therefore practically eliminated any negative feedback.

A new exhibition will open in a couple of months and the art is the opposite end of the spectrum from what normally hangs in the exhibition space. Without revealing any secrets, the art would be described as “underground.” The art isn’t something that the regular Museum patrons have ever seen before. They will either be receptive to it or hate it. A very fine line and it could go either way.

Now the topic of disclaimers has arisen again. Some of the Museum staff would like put a disclaimer on the exhibition stating that it’s not suitable for children but I’m not entirely sure why. I’ve seen the images and I didn’t see any violence, disturbing images, drug references, or nudity.

I’m wondering if the staff members want the disclaimer in place just in case there is negative feedback from donors or potential donors on the selection of such an out-on-the-limb exhibition.

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Your Turn
Have you ever been offended by any art you’ve seen in a museum? Would you still view an exhibition if there was a disclaimer on it? Is it art if it needs a disclaimer? Do you ever look at some artwork and just go, Huh?