Fig Leaf: The Biggest Cover-Up in History (2011)

Stephen Smith explores the hidden history of the fig leaf, revealing its impact on Western art and morality over the past two thousand years. He details how Michelangelo's controversial works sparked a major effort to censor nudity, known as the "fig leaf campaign." The synopsis explains how Bernini cleverly used censorship to create eroticism, and how Rodin eventually reintroduced nudity to public view. Smith argues that Victorian society had a more nuanced understanding of sexuality than modern society. He concludes with a passionate argument for the return of the fig leaf to elevate contemporary art beyond sensationalism.