On the Emptiness of Europa’s Face

Ted Nannicelli and Andrea Bubenik (2024) propose that significant differences in moral outlooks between the original and contemporary contexts of an artwork should lead us to suspend our moral judgements. They illustrate this with Titian’s Rape of Europa, discussed also by A. W. Eaton (2003). Contrary to Eaton, who argued that the morally problematic nature of this painting diminishes its artistic value, Nannicelli and Bubenik claim that the painting’s original moral value is beyond our reach. I challenge Nannicelli and Bubenik’s argument by highlighting that Eaton effectively demonstrates a narrower gap between past and present moral perspectives than the authors acknowledge. However, I do not fully endorse Eaton’s conclusion, as I argue that the painting does not prescribe a single perspective. Thus, while I support Nannicelli and Bubenik’s reservation regarding supposedly lesser artistic value of the painting, I do so for a different reason.