From our Grey Lady pearl-clutching desk
As the hardblushing staff has dutifully noted for the past handful of years, the New York Times is increasingly willing to bare all in the name of art – or commerce – in its advertising.
Representative samples include this ulp-skirt ad from Louis Vuitton five years ago . . .
and this Gagosian Gallery ad three years ago . . .
and this Christie’s ad the same year . . .
and this M.S. Ray Antiques ad two years ago . . .
and this really weird Met Breuer ad last year.
Now comes the latest Naked City ad in the Times, from Friday’s Weekend Arts II section.
The Acquavella exhibit Lucian Freud: Monumental (through May 24) looks, well, very Lucian.
Acquavella Galleries is pleased to present Lucian Freud:
Monumental, a loan exhibition focusing on the artist’s naked portraits, a subject that has long enjoyed special significance in his oeuvre. Curated by the artist’s longtime studio assistant and friend, David Dawson, Monumental will include thirteen major paintings, including depictions of his most important models from the 1990s and 2000s.
Regardless, that latest Times ad represents one more instance of the Grey Lady opening the kimono.
Wider and wider.
Campaign Outsider 
Will you be trundling down to NY to see this exhibit? Or perhaps going via some other descriptive of locomotion, instead? Inquiring minds want to know!
No, Bill – we won’t be trundling or otherwise to the Big Town before this exhibit closes. And just between you and me, no way it would have made our to-see list – neither of us is fan of this (or actually, any) Freud.
John a question in a different direction, if I might…
Are you going expand your definition of “campaign” for the just-starting silly season of presidential politics?
Your observations and humor are a needed respite from the meanness and double-dealings that we are already seeing…
Needless to say, it is going to be spirited exhibition as to just how low politics can go, and equally revealing a to how far down the slope we’ve really fallen.
Thanks for the kind words, Mudge. For the past few elections I’ve sort of saved my political stuff for the radio, but given the current clown car of a Democratic presidential primary – not to mention the GOP crazy train – I think I’ll make an exception this year. Thanks for asking.
Looking forward to your observations, John.