Art offers us different, and sometimes challenging, perspectives to consider in our lifelong relationship with the human form. Since they were babes in arms I have taken my two children to museums and galleries. Because of this frequent exposure to art, seeing representations of nude bodies is normal for them.
But if this is not your experience with the little people in your life, you might be wondering where you might start to talk about nudity and art. Nudity in art can stimulate meaningful and necessary conversations about all sorts of topics, from what different bodies look like, to body image, to what it means to be human. Here are some questions your children might have about the bodies they’re seeing – and some tips and resources to help you answer them.
What are we going to see at the gallery? Art galleries provide opportunities for parents, carers and educators to have deep discussions with children about history, politics, the environment – the list goes on. As well as coming across new and sometimes challenging concepts, the art gallery can also be a place where children may be confronted with unclothed bodies in a public space for the first time. It’s understandable this might provoke a nervous giggle or gasp.
The Gallery of Greater Victoria suggests before you visit, show your child some of the works they will see to help them prepare and talk about the tradition of nudes in art and what they can symbolise, such as privacy, innocence, bravery and vulnerab.