The Achilles Statue
Artist:
Year: 1822
Date of Action: 1822
Region: Europe
Location: Hyde Park, London
Subject: Nudity
Medium: Public Art, Sculpture
Confronting Bodies: Women of England
Description of Artwork: The women of England commissioned a statue of Achilles to be erected in the park honoring the Duke of Wellington's victory at Waterloo (1815). The statue was completely nude.
The Incident: When it was unveiled, the women of England were upset when they saw the statue included Achilles' fully exposed genitals.
Results of Incident: The women who commissioned this statue ordered that the genitals be covered up. They are now still covered with a strategically placed fig leaf.
Source:
Green, Jonathon. The Encyclopedia of Censorship. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1990. Print.