September Morn: The History of a Controversy
Description
A brief history of the early reception of Paul Chabas's September Morn, a French academic painting that entered American culture when antivice crusaders like Anthony Comstock sought to prevent its exhibition in public store windows.
Credits
Chris Forster
Sections
Matinee de Septembre
Paul Chabas, a French academic painter who studied under the famous William-Adolphe Bourgereau, had already established a reputation within the Académie Francais, when he won the medaille d'honneur for his 1912 painting Matinée de Septembre.
September Morn Comes to America
A traditional nude in the academic tradition, September Morn precipitated debate and controversy when reproductions of the painting appeared in the United States in 1913.