The Modesty of Sodom 1888

Editor: This is "The Modesty of Sodom," an etching on paper by Felicien Rops, from 1888. There's a figure draped in cloth, positioned in front of a statue. I am struck by the work’s provocative mood; it challenges traditional ideas of virtue. What kind of commentary do you think Rops was trying to make with this piece? Curator: Rops, deeply entrenched in the Symbolist movement, consistently used his art to critique bourgeois morality and the societal constraints placed on women, particularly concerning sexuality. Do you notice the presence of other figures besides the central one? What does it imply? Editor: Yes, I see the grotesque faces surrounding the central image. Are these representations of societal judgment or perhaps the perverse pleasures being alluded to? Curator: Exactly. It is suggestive of the omnipresent gaze of societal judgment but also highlights a complex dynamic between perceived sin and the society that condemns it, doesn't it? Considering this piece was made in 1888, a time when the public display of art was rapidly changing, how do you think a piece like this was received by critics and audiences? Editor: It probably stirred up quite the controversy. Did the rise of public art spaces allow for more of this transgressive artwork to come into the light, despite criticism? Curator: Precisely. It illustrates a tension, doesn’t it? New public spaces simultaneously broadened access to art and sharpened debates about what kind of imagery was permissible. What have you gathered from this discussion? Editor: I hadn’t really considered the tension between public art spaces and the increasing social conservatism of the time. Seeing "The Modesty of Sodom" as more than just an erotic image but rather as a reflection of those cultural conflicts makes it much richer.