After she lost her job in the US because of a picture of the naked statue of David in art class, an American ex-principal is now visiting Florence. In the city where the sculpture is located, she met Mayor Dario Nardella on Saturday, who had previously invited her. At Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio, they spoke about art and how important art is for the development of culture, the city said.
The case caused a stir in Italy – a debate about art and pornography flared up. The Florida woman lost her job in late March after showing her class a picture of the David statue in class. Parents have complained about the content of the lessons, one parent is said to have described the picture of Michelangelo’s David as “pornographic”.
Nudity in art not pornography
At that time, the debate about her termination also reached Florence, where the statue of David stands. The mayor of Florence invited the American to the city without further ado. “I think it’s a gesture that serves to show the whole world what is the beauty of Florence, what Michelangelo’s David symbolizes, and that nudity in art can never be considered vulgarity or pornography,” he said on Saturday after the meeting.
On Friday, the American visited the famous Florentine Galleria dell’Accademia, which houses the monumental statue of Michelangelo from the Renaissance period. “I’m really impressed by the David sculpture. I didn’t know that the entire gallery was built for it. It’s wonderful and I’m really happy to be here,” the newspaper “La Repubblica” quoted the ex-principal as saying .
The museum in Florence is one of the most visited museums in Italy, mainly because of the well-known David. The marble statue was made between 1501 and 1504. It has been kept in the museum since 1873. Michelangelo’s sculpture depicts the biblical David about to launch a slingshot battle against the giant Goliath.
