Hidden SexArt and Shame

The depiction of genitals in art has long been censored and is still taboo to this day. But artists can't resist trying to paint the unpaintable. They've resorted to a myriad of objects to depict nudity as nude as they dared, resorting to fig leaves, pearls, draped sheets, swords, or clubs to cover up their subjects. Artists have been playing a game of hide-and-seek with censors and critics since antiquity.