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Raw talentFlesh can be interpreted as human or animal, alive or dead, familiar or strange,as Jennifer Alexander, Curator of Fine Art at York Art Gallery, explainsThe word ‘fl esh’ is loaded with moral, religious and erotic undertones. It also has different meanings, which are dependent on the viewer and context. In York Art Gallery’s exhibition Flesh, Italian Old Masters, such as the 14th-century Dead Christ with the Virgin and St John by the Master of the San Lucchese Altarpiece, show the power of fl esh as a symbol of life and death. The Biblical notion of the wounds of the fl esh also refers to modern works including Gina Pane’s Azione Sentimentale (1973), where the artist pricks her arms with thorns, contrasted with Ron Mueck’s Youth (2009), where a young man lifts his shirt to expose a wound in his side.The imitation of fl esh tones has long been considered one of the most challenging painterly tasks. Ever since late antiquity, fl esh tones were made of mixtures of pigments built up in layers. In Ceres and Two Nymphs with a Cornucopia (about 1617–1627), Rubens draws attention to the two main fi gures via brilliant white and yellow highlights on a beige-pink base tone. Later, York-born William Etty (1787–1849) won applause from his contemporaries for his ability to render fl esh tints and realistically capture the naked human form.Since the late 19th century, many artists experimented with new ways of exploring and representing ‘fl esh’. The association of paint and fl esh was reiterated in both abstract and fi gurative painting. In Leon Kossoff’s Seated Nude (1963), painterly matter is foregrounded to such an extent that the nude is barely distinguished from the surroundings.In the 20th century, artists developed new techniques and materials to represent fl esh. Abstract works by Sarah Lucas, Bruce Nauman and Barry Flanagan suggest the body through soft, fat folds, and rough, skin-like surfaces. Flesh can be a tactile and sensory substance that can challenge, amuse or confuse. John Coplans presents huge photographs of his ageing body where every individual hair and wrinkle can be scrutinised, prompting comparison with the idealistic male body presented in classical representations and the modern media. In the oil painting by a member of the circle of Rembrandt, Slaughtered Ox, dead animal fl esh takes centre stage. It is contrasted with Frans Snyder’s A Game Stall from York Art Gallery’s own collection, which joyously displays a vast array of meats, fruit and vegetables – 17th-century still-life paintings are often loaded with moral and religious symbolism to allude to the transience of life and passing of time.‘Flesh’ does not always mean the naked body – it can be human or animal, living or dead, fi gurative or abstract. The exhibition raises questions around life and death, race and gender, health and disease, touch and texture, body image and ageing.• Flesh is at York Art Gallery until March 19, 2017. For more details see www.yorkartgallery.org.uk. ■Top: William Etty, Wrestlers, c1840Left: Frans Snyders, A Game Stall, c1630Images: courtesy of York Museums Trust.62 NADFAS REVIEW / WINTER 2016 www.nadfas.org.ukFLESH