This lecture begins in outer space, with a small plaque attached to Pioneer 10, somewhere between Planet Earth and the Taurus constellation. It contains an image of a naked man and woman, designed to communicate the appearance of humankind to extra-terrestrial species. But the depiction of the pair is directly inspired by classical art from ancient Greece, where the ‘nude’ was invented. Before the classical period, the unclothed human body was a source of shame, but the Greeks showed it with dignity and honour, parading nakedness as a symbol of heroism. That was the men, anyway.

About the Lecturer

Matthew Wilson

Secret symbols, Nazi-fighting, cultural love affairs, the ‘nude’, snowmen, and artistic espionage are among the diverse interests of art historian Matthew Wilson. Matthew studied History of Art at the Courtauld Institute and is an author, lecturer, and educator. As a freelance journalist he writes for numerous publications including BBC Culture, The Spectator, The Economist and Aesthetica Magazine. He has written two books on symbolism – ‘Symbols in Art’ (Thames & Hudson, 2020) and ‘The Hidden Language of Symbols’ (Thames & Hudson 2022) and his latest book is ‘Art Unpacked’ – a fully illustrated introduction to understanding art (Thames & Hudson 2023).

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