Controversy arose after a 17th-century painting, featuring nude figures, was shared in a French school.
The incident occurred at Jacques Cartier School at Issou on December 7. Reportedly, a teacher showed the 1603 painting Diana and Acteon by Guiseppe Cesari to a general classroom of 11- and 12-year-olds. The Renaissance painting depicts the hunter Acteon barging on the goddess Diana and her nymph companions bathing.
As per reports, many students felt ‘disturbed’ after viewing the paintings. Reports further alleged that the teacher also made Islamophobic remarks, which were not corroborated by any evidence. However, after complaints from some parents, the school decided to take disciplinary action against
However, this only seemed to have added fuel to the fire, as the action caused outrage in France. Earlier this week, staff at the concerned school refused to work – as a show of solidarity with the teacher. They also wrote an open letter to the director of national education services in France on December 8, expressing grievances over the incident.
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On December 11, Gabriel Attal (French Minister of Education) visited the school and announced that the students involved in the incident would be reprimanded. The incident had similarities with another controversy that arose in Florida earlier this year, where sharing images of the sculpture David caused objections among the students.
