Nude Men is the name of the exhibition presented at the Leopold Museum in the city of Vienna, in response to the content of the exhibition and under the suggestion of various nudist groups, the Museum allowed visitors to attend the exhibition in the nude on February 18, after 6 pm.
The Museum advertised the event with a poster of three nude men that was displayed across the city but that was eventually censored—with tape over their genital area—asa result of complaints from several social groups.
The Museum has already accumulated a series of complaints through the years, beginning in 2005 with the exhibition The Naked Truth; Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka, and Other Scandals. On that occasion, it offered money to anyone willing to walk naked through the exhibition.
The exhibition will remain open until March 4,2013. It became the most visited exhibition during 2012. The group of more than 300 works portraying male nudes surveys the history of art from 1800 to this day. It was made possible by loans from several institutions and collections across Europe. There are illustrations from the 18th Century, works from ancient Egypt, Renaissance paintings and some Greek pieces, among many other works. This compilation of works showcases many contrasts in the conception and approach to ideals of masculinity throughout history.
It is important to point out that there is artistic content that cannot be promoted too freely in society. In this instance, an otherwise natural theme continues to be Taboo. That notwithstanding, the question lingers: Would attending the exhibition in the nude be any different?