TITLE:
The Prepuce in Italian Art—Evidence from Von Gloeden’s Photographs
AUTHORS:
Guy Cox
KEYWORDS:
Prepuce, Foreskin, Penis, Circumcision, Renaissance Art, Classical Art, Baroque Art
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.3 No.8,
August
12,
2016
ABSTRACT: It is well known that the portrayal of the male organ in classical art
was subject to strict conventions and was not realistic. To what extent did
this tradition carry over to the Italian Renaissance? Jewish Old and New
Testament figures were not shown as circumcised, but was this a concession to
classical convention or a portrayal of the actual, uncircumcised models? The
photographs of Wilhelm von Gloeden, taken between 1890 and 1900, provide an
invaluable record of young males in pre-industrial Italian society. Comparing
these with paintings from the Italian High Renaissance (1450-1650) we
discover a striking, and hitherto unreported, double standard in which juvenile
males were depicted realistically whereas adolescents and adults were portrayed
in accordance with classical ideals. This has led to misconceptions about the
normal appearance of adult male prepuce which persist to the present day.