Classical Shirtlessness

In my fury to return to blogging and of course covering "Magic Mike," I neglected to reflect upon my travels in Italy and their affect upon my shirtless aesthetic.  Italy is the land of classical arts, and I would be remiss if I didn't admit that seeing shirtless sculpture after shirtless sculpture changed me in some way.  If it's possible, I think I appreciate the male nude even more than before.  Granted, I will continue to maintain that pantslessness is for private, but certainly shirtlessness was raised to a new level in the Uffizi and the Galleria dell'Accademia.

Seeing Michelangelo's David was no less awe-inspiring than the first time almost 20 years ago.  To see the veins and skin of a man carved into marble of an awesome scale did inspire silence and wonder.  Also, to see in person a sculpture whose image I have seen hundreds of times creates a strange sense of deja vu that is hard to shake.  It seems almost unreal.  And yet, there he stands, surrounded by visitors from all over the world, towering above them all as he prepares to do battle with Goliath.  Who can look at this sculpture and not appreciate the artistry?

So today, I toast one of the birthplaces of shirtlessness and thank heavens for the Renaissance.  May we all get to experience the sublime in every day life.  Salute!

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS