Tereza Hadravová: "On the Emptiness of Europa’s Face"

Tereza Hadravová, Charles University: "On the Emptiness of Europa’s Face"

Abstract
Ted Nannicelli and Andrea Bubenik (2024) propose that significant differences in moral outlooks between the generative (original) and reception (contemporary) contexts of an artwork should lead us to suspend our moral judgements. They illustrate this with Titian’s Rape of Europa, discussed also by A. W. Eaton (2003). Contrary to Eaton, who argued that the morally problematic nature of this painting diminishes its artistic value, Nannicelli and Bubenik claim that the painting’s original moral value is beyond our reach. In my discussion, I will challenges Nannicelli and Bubenik's argument by highlighting that Eaton effectively demonstrates a narrower gap between past and present moral perspectives than the authors acknowledge. However, I will not fully endorse Eaton’s conclusion, as I will argue that the painting does not prescribe a single perspective. Thus, while I support Nannicelli and Bubenik’s reservation regarding supposedly lesser artistic value of the painting, I do so for a different reason.