Why is the infant Jesus portrayed so prominently naked and often with the focus on his genitals? As illustrated in Piero della Francesca’s Madonna and Child—pictured here and recently featured in the exhibit Piero della Francesca: Personal Encounters at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which ran from January 14 to March 30, 2014—Mary holds the naked baby outward, so that his genitals are on display for all to see. In Renaissance art, there are hundreds of devotional pieces from the 15th to mid-16th century that highlight the touching, protecting or presenting of Jesus’ genitals when he is portrayed as […]
