Art Appreciation: Shocking! Art Scandals throughout Time

What makes a work of art scandalous? Is it the subject matter, the style, the context—or the audience? This three-hour session investigates some of the most provocative and emblematic art scandals in Western history, spanning from the Renaissance to the contemporary era. Beginning with Paolo Veronese’s The Wedding at Cana (1563), censured for its irreverent detail, and Caravaggio’s emotionally raw Death of the Virgin (1605–6), we’ll trace how artists have repeatedly challenged religious, political, and aesthetic norms—and how institutions and viewers have responded. The session will also examine modern and contemporary works such as Richard Serra’s controversial public sculpture Tilted Arc (1981) and Tracey Emin’s unmade My Bed (1998), both of which ignited intense public debate about the role and definition of art. Through these case studies, we will ask: What values were threatened or offended? Who felt empowered—or

excluded—by these works? What do such scandals reveal about the societies in which they erupted? Rather than dismissing controversy as mere outrage, we’ll consider whether scandal can serve as a productive force in cultural discourse—pushing boundaries, raising questions, and forcing reflection. With an open mind and a critical eye, we will explore what it means when art provoke.