Augsburg, Staats- und Stadtbibliothek — Th H 1475. Digital Reproduction: München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, 2015.
In book 2 chapter 37, Molanus deals with the question of impudence in painting. For this matter, Molanus refers to the Council of Trent that ordered that all impudence in art must be avoided. This leads him to conclude that according to Molanus artists should avoid anything impudent in their artworks and that artworks containing impudent features should be adjusted or removed. In several cases, he explains how one should handle impudent artworks, the painters that made them and what impudence can look like.
The third case of impudence in art consists of a quote from Jean Quintin that among Christians no infamous and licentious paintings should be present; the worst according to Quintin is lasciviousness in images of saints, giving examples of the Virgin Theotokos, Mary Magdalene in tears and other holy women and virgins.
“Jean Quintin writes wonderfully about canon 2 of the Council of Gangra: ‘Nowhere among Christians should one see infamous and licentious paintings, such as those which, however, are believed to adorn the gardens and homes of princes and private individuals today; nor would our churches be spared this shame. The most detestable thing is when paintings shamelessly introduce lasciviousness into the works where they represent the images of saints, such as, the holiest Virgin Theotokos, the penitent Magdalene in tears, and the other holy women or virgins.'”
“Pulcrè sanè scribit Quinctinus Heduus ad canonem 20. Synodi Gangrensis, Infames et voluptuosae picturae, nullo debent in Christianorum loco videri, qualibus tamen nunc Principum privatorumque putant hortos et aedes ornari:ne templis quidem nostris ab hac turpitudine liberis. Quodque detestabilius est, in figurandis ipsis divorum Imagnibus Iascivire non verentus pictores, ut in sacerrima Theotoxa virgine pingenda, in lugente vel poenitente Magdalena, sanctisque caeteris mulieribus, aut virginibus efformandis.”
Molanus 1996, 230.
