Have you noticed the ancient Greek or Roman statues and sculptures? All the statues have similar design and construction style. White-colored bodies, pupilless eyes, large wavy hair. There is another similarity with them. Most of the statues are nude or semi-nude. But why?

No. Nude does not necessarily mean obscene. Rather, there are various historical reasons behind this. Art history says this nudity can be a symbol of childlike simplicity or sexuality. Art historian Kenneth Clark has explained this matter. According to him, the two words 'Naked' and 'Nude' have different meanings. The word 'Naked' means nude and it is a shameful condition. The word 'Nude' is used to denote the most beautiful form of the body.

The highest quality nude statues were made in Greece. According to art historians, this nudity is actually the ornament of these sculptures. Artists created statues of gods, warriors and heroes. The statues were made in harmony with the social system of that time. These statues were also often used for worshipping deities. Not just beauty, nudity was also shown as a symbol of intellect and excellence.

One of the examples in the history of nude sculpture is the 'Spear Bearer'. Greek artist Polykleitos created this statue 2,400 years ago. He believed that the secret of bodily beauty lay in physical proportions. Later, various sculptures were created based on this 'Spear Bearer'. Among them is the statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Then gradually nudity disappeared from the stream of art and literature. Later, this art form returned anew during the European Renaissance of 1400 to 1600 and the Neo-Classical era of 1750 to 1900.

Although the main stream of nude art began to fade gradually with the end of Roman civilization, that art form later emerged in a more allegorical form. Like Michelangelo's 'Risen Christ'. In this sculpture, Michelangelo presents Jesus Christ as a heroic figure.

However, this nude art tradition is mainly male-centric. Female nude art was not seen to a great extent. The oldest evidence of female nude art found is about 30,000 years old. Compared to Venus, the Roman goddess of love, it is called Venus of Willendorf. Aphrodite of Knidos is also another important nude art.

Nude art has been created in almost all countries and all civilizations. Even in modern times, the human body is an important subject in sculpture construction. An example of such modern art could be the 'Grounded in the Stars' sculpture in New York City.