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Totally random question: nude works of art?


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We have no problem with it as I previously mentioned.

 

But, I was a bit surprised to walk around the corner at the Portland Art Museum to be greeted with a full size, absolutely Life Like nude man laying down. He is on a slab, and is just at eye level. He is so beautiful, the artistry- phenominal. It is the life-likeness that catches you off guard, like a real person is actually laying there. (This is Portland, so you never really know LOL).

 

Whenever we find him (his location changes over time in the museum) he usually gets a comment or two. We try to focus on the finely painted veins on his feet or the odd hair....but his bits, well they follow you around the room like the Mona Lisa's eyes. LOL

 

"Dying Gaul" John De Andrea is the artist.

Edited by Tap, tap, tap
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No that's the problem...no ding dong. :lol:

 

I couldn't help myself.

 

HA! :lol:

 

We love the art museum especially the photography gallery. Our museum is good about noting if there's more aggressive nud1ty (don't know what else to call it) With some photography it gets uncomfortable in mixed company so if there's a note, I usually scout ahead and certain works get a glance instead of the full study, kwim?

 

One recent work was found photos of women. Very interesting but a lot of the oldest photos (found at estate sales etc) were...um...:blushing:

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If I tried to shield them from it, we would have missed out on many, many trips to the National Gallery, not to mention trips to the Met, the Louvre, the d'Orsay, the SAAM, and numerous other art museums we've enjoyed. That or I would need to pack small blindfolds at all times.

 

Like someone else said above, I also try to respect different opinions and approaches, but I'd have trouble with this one. I don't think I'd be able to see it as anything but a misguided projection of one's own discomfort with basic sexuality.

 

:iagree:

 

Great nude art is praise of God's most beautiful work.

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I don't have a problem with it but ds18 does. It is something he won't even get near it! His sister dd21 (on Sunday!) is an art major and has quite an extensive collection of work from her live model drawing class. Again he won't even look.

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yikes! :lol:

 

Last month we went to Greece with Lukeion, and my kids saw more naked statues (not to mention hundreds of satyrs and naked warriors in vase paintings!) in 2 weeks than most people see in a lifetime — including the original of the bronze statue those crazy homeschoolers dressed in golf clothes. And the week after that, we went to the British Museum and saw even more naked statues and paintings.

 

My kids are 10 & 14, and it's totally not an issue for them — never has been. They've been to the "Bodies" exhibit, as well as many museums and art galleries, they've watched ethnographic documentaries with nearly-naked people since they were toddlers, we have lots of realistically-illustrated books on human anatomy, etc.

 

IMHO, anyone who sees a Greek statue as "pornography" (as in the linked article) is far too obsessed with sex and should be cleaning up his own thoughts rather than trying to "protect" the rest of us by dressing public artworks!

 

Jackie

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No that's the problem...no ding dong. :lol:

 

I couldn't help myself.

:lol:

 

Once we did The Getty Villa (which they quickly named wiener town :D) we were over the hump of awkwardness.

 

 

We took DD to the Getty Villa a few months ago. I didn't even really notice the nudity.:tongue_smilie:

 

It doesn't bother me and I've never avoided it or tried covering it up...

 

..unlike, say, these homeschoolers:

Naked Statue of Greek God Horrifies California Homeschoolers

Oh my. :svengo:Is it any wonder that people think homeschoolers are weird?

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I'll never be a Botticelli, but Rubens thought my curvy shape was great.

 

Looking at some Rubens tonight was a wonderful self-confidence builder. Dh has never complained, even with my ups and downs in weight. Looking at those paintings helped me see why. They're beautiful! Thanks for posting!

 

eta: I guess I should post on topic... I don't think I have a problem with it but I've been a bit remiss...we haven't studied much art history.

Edited by Alenee
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I have never had a problem with this. In fact, I was so mad once when I purchased an encyclopedia from a homeschooler online and every partially nude person was wearing an outfit drawn in with magic marker. I guess she didn't consider that as marks because she listed the item like new. What a ding dong.

 

My kids have never seemed to have a problem either. They never pointed and giggled. They just saw the pictures and artwork as no different from other pictures and artwork I guess. Of course, I never pointed out the art as being a problem. I would imagine that pictures that include marker clothing would catch their eye. I don't like the idea of my kids thinking nudity is ugly or sinful.

 

Oh, no!!! I can't stop laughing!:lol::lol::lol:

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We have no problem with it as I previously mentioned.

 

But, I was a bit surprised to walk around the corner at the Portland Art Museum to be greeted with a full size, absolutely Life Like nude man laying down. He is on a slab, and is just at eye level. He is so beautiful, the artistry- phenominal. It is the life-likeness that catches you off guard, like a real person is actually laying there. (This is Portland, so you never really know LOL).

 

Whenever we find him (his location changes over time in the museum) he usually gets a comment or two. We try to focus on the finely painted veins on his feet or the odd hair....but his bits, well they follow you around the room like the Mona Lisa's eyes. LOL

 

"Dying Gaul" John De Andrea is the artist.

 

LOL, oh, LOL!!! This thread is striking me funny. Probably because I'm a prude, but this.....

 

Mona Lisa's eyes!

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yikes! :lol:

 

Last month we went to Greece with Lukeion, and my kids saw more naked statues (not to mention hundreds of satyrs and naked warriors in vase paintings!) in 2 weeks than most people see in a lifetime — including the original of the bronze statue those crazy homeschoolers dressed in golf clothes. And the week after that, we went to the British Museum and saw even more naked statues and paintings.

 

My kids are 10 & 14, and it's totally not an issue for them — never has been. They've been to the "Bodies" exhibit, as well as many museums and art galleries, they've watched ethnographic documentaries with nearly-naked people since they were toddlers, we have lots of realistically-illustrated books on human anatomy, etc.

 

IMHO, anyone who sees a Greek statue as "pornography" (as in the linked article) is far too obsessed with sex and should be cleaning up his own thoughts rather than trying to "protect" the rest of us by dressing public artworks!

 

Jackie

 

:iagree: And it is not an issue here.

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Doesn't bother me but, I just overheard a conversation my boys had the other day.

 

DS10: Look at that naked guy.

DS12: Oh, that's 'The Thinker'.

DS10: What's 'The Thinker'?

DS12: It's a famous sculpture, but I don't know why he's naked. I would think better with clothes on.

DS10: Yeah, me too.

 

So at this point my boys don't seem to see the point. hehe ;)

 

LOL That is so funny. :lol::lol::lol:

 

We don't have a problem with it in our house either.

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We have no problem with it as I previously mentioned.

 

But, I was a bit surprised to walk around the corner at the Portland Art Museum to be greeted with a full size, absolutely Life Like nude man laying down. He is on a slab, and is just at eye level. He is so beautiful, the artistry- phenominal. It is the life-likeness that catches you off guard, like a real person is actually laying there. (This is Portland, so you never really know LOL).

 

Whenever we find him (his location changes over time in the museum) he usually gets a comment or two. We try to focus on the finely painted veins on his feet or the odd hair....but his bits, well they follow you around the room like the Mona Lisa's eyes. LOL

 

"Dying Gaul" John De Andrea is the artist.

 

:lol::lol::lol: He looks like he had a mishap with the spray tan as well. :p

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I don't think twice about it. it isn't a secret that women have breasts/vaginas or that men have penises. Not a secret, not a big deal.

 

Me neither. Besides, dc's father is an artist himself, and he paints nudes and semi-nudes. No need for models, there are plenty of photos. We even have a topless maiden on a masthead as decoration in our house and a nude painting. Kids don't think twice (they are 8, 4, and 1).

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It doesn't bother me and I've never avoided it or tried covering it up...

 

..unlike, say, these homeschoolers:

Naked Statue of Greek God Horrifies California Homeschoolers

 

Ohhhh... Noo.. Hope none of my friends catch wind of this. It's frankly embarrassing to be lumped together with these people! :glare: :001_huh::tongue_smilie:

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Whenever we find him (his location changes over time in the museum) he usually gets a comment or two. We try to focus on the finely painted veins on his feet or the odd hair....but his bits, well they follow you around the room like the Mona Lisa's eyes. LOL

 

We took kiddo to the SAM when the Roman busts were there, and most of the taller statues of men had had their kit and tackle knocked off. Kiddo was a toddler, but he burst out laughing at the deletion, and even pointed it out to a few passers by.

 

Conspicuous by its absence!

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It's never bothered me at all. Last summer DS and I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art with one of his friends and his mom. While there was a bit of requisite giggling going on, the other boy and his mom seemed incredibly offended by the nude art. :::shrugs::: I don't see the big deal. It's a representation of the beauty of the human form.

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It doesn't bother me and I've never avoided it or tried covering it up...

 

..unlike, say, these homeschoolers:

Naked Statue of Greek God Horrifies California Homeschoolers

 

I could totally see my college friends and I dressing up a statue for a practical joke, but to avoid seeing the nudity? No. That's the silliest thing I've ever heard.

 

I can't get my kids to keep their own clothes on half the time, so nudity doesn't seem to bother them too much. Once when we were at the art museum ds2 did ask why there were so many naked statues, and I explained that the human body was beautiful and lots of artists want to show that beauty. He said, "Oh.", and that was the end of that.

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We took kiddo to the SAM when the Roman busts were there, and most of the taller statues of men had had their kit and tackle knocked off. Kiddo was a toddler, but he burst out laughing at the deletion, and even pointed it out to a few passers by.

 

Conspicuous by its absence!

 

"kit and tackle"

 

Love it!

 

:lol:

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It is probably worth pointing out that in ancient times some societies actually did put clothes on their statues of gods and goddesses. The form was supposed to be exactly that-their actual form.

 

:svengo: Italy is our number one place to go! Can't imagine.. :tongue_smilie:

 

Anyone offended by nudity should definitely not go to Italy, especially Pompeii.

 

Ohhhh... Noo.. Hope none of my friends catch wind of this. It's frankly embarrassing to be lumped together with these people! :glare: :001_huh::tongue_smilie:

:iagree:

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I see nothing wrong with nudes and with my kids viewing them. I also do not see any need to discuss nudity in Art specifically with my teenagers (they would be embarrassed to). They know what a nude body looks like - there is nothing to discuss.

 

ETA because of a misunderstanding: Of course we talk about Art. But we see no need to specifically discuss the aspect of nudity because it is normal.

 

Btw, my home town in Europe has a city run nude swimming pool. Nobody thinks twice about seeing actual nude people there... so Art is certainly not a problem.

Edited by regentrude
misunderstanding
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I thought everyone was joking about censoring books until I got one from the library that had sticky notes and pen marks throughout. I was like, really?!?

 

We just bought a wallhanging that unknowingly to us contains nudity. It doesn't concern dh or myself, but I am slightly concerned about our more conservative friends. Luckily, you really have to be staring at the picture to see the nudity, and I don't think it is interesting enough to warrant long staring sessions. ;)

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We just bought a wallhanging that unknowingly to us contains nudity. It doesn't concern dh or myself, but I am slightly concerned about our more conservative friends. Luckily, you really have to be staring at the picture to see the nudity, and I don't think it is interesting enough to warrant long staring sessions. ;)

 

Feign ignornance if anyone mentions it. :)

 

At one of the hotels in Vegas, there's gold statues (I think more than one) of a mermaid in the lobby. I was there with my parents and their friends when they were all in their mid-70s. A little boy came in, ran right up to one statue and caressed the mermaid's curves. The mother wanted to die. The child was just enjoying the art. The older folks I was with found it downright innocent and amusing, and they weren't known as the most "open" group of people on the planet. I thought at the time, something like, "I guess that's the whole point of art!"

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How do you feel about your dc viewing nudes in paintings and/or sculptures? I'm not talking gratuitous nudity here, I mean the "great" works of art that have nudity.

 

I'm particularly interested in those of you with teenage sons. Do you attempt to avoid the works, dialogue about them, other?

 

How have you and your dc handled this?

 

Thanks!

 

I do have a problem with nude art. I don't think of it in the same way as porn, but I think it's wrong. My children do not view nude art. I would never censor a library book or one that does not belong to me, but I have done so for books that we own.

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Okay, looked at the Poseidon being dressed in clothes and spit coffee ALL OVER THE COMPUTER SCREEN! Seriously people, warnings should be issued - "RED ALERT! RED ALERT! Do not view while ingesting fluids or while chewing any solid foods - choking hazard."

 

My oldest boy loves art, is a talented artist, and hopes to be an archaeologist. This means that as a high schooler, we study art history and since his fondness for ancients is HUGE, the Greeks. It's not a problem here.

 

One of my favorite comments he made about Greek art was:

 

"Seriously, these guys are a little too enamored with Big Jim and the Twins. Not healthy. Get a real job, get a hobby, get a wife for heaven's sake...stop obsessing down there."

 

Faith

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I do have a problem with nude art. I don't think of it in the same way as porn' date=' but I think it's wrong. My children do not view nude art. I would never censor a library book or one that does not belong to me, but I have done so for books that we own.[/quote']Can you elaborate as to why you think it's wrong?
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I have never had a problem with this. In fact, I was so mad once when I purchased an encyclopedia from a homeschooler online and every partially nude person was wearing an outfit drawn in with magic marker. I guess she didn't consider that as marks because she listed the item like new. What a ding dong.

 

:rofl:

 

My kids have never seemed to have a problem either. They never pointed and giggled. They just saw the pictures and artwork as no different from other pictures and artwork I guess. Of course, I never pointed out the art as being a problem. I would imagine that pictures that include marker clothing would catch their eye. I don't like the idea of my kids thinking nudity is ugly or sinful.

 

:iagree: That's how it is here. Nudity in art has never been a big deal because we don't make it one. We're very open about the human body in general, so neither child seems to think any of it is an issue.

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I see nothing wrong with nudes and with my kids viewing them. I also do not see any need to discuss nude art with my teenagers (they would be embarrassed to). They know what a nude body looks like - there is nothing to discuss.

 

? Do you not discuss art at all? Sure, teens might be a little embarrassed about discuss nude art, but I don't avoid discussing great works just because they contain nudes. We discuss art a lot. Sometimes, there are nudes.

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? Do you not discuss art at all? Sure, teens might be a little embarrassed about discuss nude art, but I don't avoid discussing great works just because they contain nudes. We discuss art a lot. Sometimes, there are nudes.

 

Sure, we discuss Art. What I meant was that we do not have any specific discussion about the aspect of nudity. Sorry if I misunderstood the question.

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It's not a black and white question for us. It would depend on the style of the art, the age of the children, and the sort of access they'd have to the images (e.g., visiting a museum once, vs. a book in our family room that gets looked through often).

 

But we make the same kinds of decisions about some types of art that don't involve nudity -- Dadaism, brutalist architecture, certain ritual objects, etc. I just got done removing a few of the modern sections from Hillyer's "Young People's Story of Our Heritage." And that wasn't on account of trying to "shield" my children (how could I do that? We see this stuff every time we leave the house!), but just because it's not something I'm finding helpful to dwell on at this stage of their education.

 

It took a while for me to adjust to this, because I was raised to think that printed books were practically sacred. But they're not. They're just tools. And just as it's fine for us to choose *not* to buy certain books -- on the grounds of what we consider to be age-appropriate, accurate, and wholesome -- it's also okay to customize the ones we already have.

 

(NB, I'm not talking about rewriting the classics. Other than the Hillyer -- which is a 14 volume set, the great majority of which I left untouched -- my edits have mostly been to Usborne and DK books, and even poorer quality knock-offs. These books don't have any great artistic unity; they're just a hodge-podge of arbitrarily chosen information and images. And they often have factual errors, which makes it necessary for me to go through them with a marker in any case. I sometimes think I should just stop buying them even though the children enjoy them so much. Fortunately, though, Costco sells correction tape in large quantities.)

 

As for selling them as new, that would be strange. I would probably just give them away to another family who took a similar approach.

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Here is a very serious question about nude art. More applicable for those with young children and also for children with certain special needs, for lack of a better term. (And those who are not nudists.)

 

How does one communicate the idea that real life nudity is not something for public consumption, while looking at (some or all) artworks involving nudity and saying that that is okay? This could cut either way - children being puzzled by nude art (why don't they have their clothes on) OR children who see nothing wrong with public nudity and see art as reinforcing the idea that it's perfectly fine to have random people see one naked, which puts one at risk for inappropriate outcomes or abuse. I am not trying to be hysterical or anything. This is not a trick question; it's a real one. Grown men do not stand in the town square stark naked, and I, as an adult woman, have not been happy when I've come across naked men in public, who are usually trying to visually or physically assault someone by their exhibitionism.

 

I am not suggesting all naked art = porn or expressing an opinion about nudity in art. I personally think it's a complex issue. I think it is much easier, logically, to reject nudity in art AND public human nudity, and that is easy to communicate, but I really am curious, though, about how to communicate this subtle distinction to a child who, due to age or some other reason, does not "get it."

Edited by stripe
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I don't think twice about it. it isn't a secret that women have breasts/vaginas or that men have penises. Not a secret, not a big deal.

 

My kids have never seemed to have a problem either. They never pointed and giggled. They just saw the pictures and artwork as no different from other pictures and artwork I guess. Of course, I never pointed out the art as being a problem. I would imagine that pictures that include marker clothing would catch their eye. I don't like the idea of my kids thinking nudity is ugly or sinful.

 

:iagree: but with a caveat... my ds certainly giggles and chuckles. He thinks breasts are absolutely hilarious. Ahh, the joys of little boys. I make a point of taking the "no big deal" approach, but he still chuckles. :lol:

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I don't censor, unless the work is particularly graphic, but sometimes the boys self-censor. My dd does not.

 

We have this page-a-day calendar from the Met. and when someone is particularly naked the boys have a tendency to skip that day.

 

Perhaps it is because they grew up in a hippie neighborhood and have seen enough nudity for a lifetime! :D

 

By the way, we love this calendar! It is a beautiful and simple (and inexpensive! It was $12) way to add picture study to the day. The presentation is elegant, and looks great in our home. We take turns changing the picture, and have learned so much. The kids are already begging for certain pages so they can hang them in their rooms. I highly recommend it! You can get them from Barnes and Noble and similar stores, but Amazon had a great price.

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How does one communicate the idea that real life nudity is not something for public consumption, while looking at (some or all) artworks involving nudity and saying that that is okay? This could cut either way - children being puzzled by nude art (why don't they have their clothes on) OR children who see nothing wrong with public nudity and see art as reinforcing the idea that it's perfectly fine to have random people see one naked, which puts one at risk for inappropriate outcomes or abuse.

This has just never been an issue with any child I've ever known. My kids have seen lots of nude art, nude bodies in the Bodies exhibit, anatomically correct illustrations in books, and mostly-naked people in documentaries; that has never made them want to take their clothes off in public. They understand that in our culture, people do not walk around naked. They understand the difference between art & real life.

 

On many European beaches, naked toddlers and topless women are perfectly normal. In some countries there are public spas where it's perfectly normal for men and women to be naked in the same pool. In some countries, it's perfectly normal for families and even neighbors to take saunas together naked. Different cultures have different mores about what is and isn't acceptable in terms of nudity, and it has nothing to do with how much art they look at — nor do the countries with fewer restrictions on nudity have higher rates of sexual assault. I think the way nudity is 100% sexualized in US culture is pretty strange and kind of dysfunctional, actually.

 

Jackie

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brutalist architecture, certain ritual objects,

 

 

You piqued my curiosity here. Can you explain what "brutalist architecture" is and what "ritual objects" you might not address?

 

Off to Google "brutallist architecture"

 

Thanks much!

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This has just never been an issue with any child I've ever known. My kids have seen lots of nude art, nude bodies in the Bodies exhibit, anatomically correct illustrations in books, and mostly-naked people in documentaries; that has never made them want to take their clothes off in public. They understand that in our culture, people do not walk around naked. They understand the difference between art & real life.

 

On many European beaches, naked toddlers and topless women are perfectly normal. In some countries there are public spas where it's perfectly normal for men and women to be naked in the same pool. In some countries, it's perfectly normal for families and even neighbors to take saunas together naked. Different cultures have different mores about what is and isn't acceptable in terms of nudity, and it has nothing to do with how much art they look at — nor do the countries with fewer restrictions on nudity have higher rates of sexual assault. I think the way nudity is 100% sexualized in US culture is pretty strange and kind of dysfunctional, actually.

 

Jackie

 

I have been thinking about this post all morning, and totally agree with the above. It is usually the sexualized nudity that makes my kids uncomfortable.

 

The same nude individual in different contexts evokes different responses. Seeing our neighbor in the sauna = not scary; Being flashed in a shady alley = sadness and compassion; someone flaunting the fact that they are 'ready to go' = discomfort, etc. etc.

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You piqued my curiosity here. Can you explain what "brutalist architecture" is

Hard to describe in a few words, but I'm sure Google will have plenty of examples.

 

and what "ritual objects" you might not address?
Specific objects might include some types of scary masks, wildly disproportionate figures, things to do with human sacrifice, and items made from skulls and other human body parts. We have a few history books that seem to go out of their way to include these pictures -- I guess it's for the "wow factor." Maybe that would be helpful with a 13 year old boy who's a reluctant reader, but it's not something I want my little ones (who love to sit and flip through books) looking at on a regular basis. Young children have naturally contemplative minds, and I'd rather they fill them with images that are more in keeping with our family's sense of human dignity and spiritual meaning.

 

There's also the problem of moral ambiguities. We do have to acknowledge that a given culture did some great things that we can learn from, but also some bad ones -- and as far as I can tell, this is hard enough for the children to handle at their ages. Giving them a lot of vivid images of the negative aspects, including the related art, just makes it worse.

 

The above is mostly from observing and reflecting on my children's responses during our first two years of studying history together. We'll be doing some things differently the next time we visit those time periods.

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Hard to describe in a few words, but I'm sure Google will have plenty of examples.

 

Specific objects might include some types of scary masks, wildly disproportionate figures, things to do with human sacrifice, and items made from skulls and other human body parts. We have a few history books that seem to go out of their way to include these pictures -- I guess it's for the "wow factor." Maybe that would be helpful with a 13 year old boy who's a reluctant reader, but it's not something I want my little ones (who love to sit and flip through books) looking at on a regular basis. Young children have naturally contemplative minds, and I'd rather they fill them with images that are more in keeping with our family's sense of human dignity and spiritual meaning.

 

There's also the problem of moral ambiguities. We do have to acknowledge that a given culture did some great things that we can learn from, but also some bad ones -- and as far as I can tell, this is hard enough for the children to handle at their ages. Giving them a lot of vivid images of the negative aspects, including the related art, just makes it worse.

 

The above is mostly from observing and reflecting on my children's responses during our first two years of studying history together. We'll be doing some things differently the next time we visit those time periods.

 

Aha! I understand what you mean by ritual artifacts now. Yes, indeed.

 

As far as brutalish architecture, (I did Google) that seems quite a bit more aesthetics-based, to me. But I might be able to see the issue there. If I believed in a god, buildings that ugly might make me question such a being's existence or goodness. ;)

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