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Is it an avierah to draw women with their breasts exposed? I have seen paintings by European artists that depict biblical women with their breasts exposed and wondered: if a Jew were to do this, would it be an avierah? I'm asking about drawing/painting something which depicts a woman's exposed breasts (with no woman in front or with you at all).

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    I don't know that female breasts always had the highly erotic associations they now have in Western culture. In some locales I suspect exposing your thigh would have been a much greater offense.
    – Double AA ♦
    Jun 15 '16 at 20:28
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    @DoubleAA is it allowed to read Shema regarding a painting of biblical women with their breasts exposed?
    – kouty
    Jun 15 '16 at 21:48
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    I thiink that it is allowed, may be more. If a man is allowed to see his wife when she is not nidda, he can draw it. what is the problem. To draw following imagination may be a problem of venishmartem mikol davar ra. the question is good.
    – kouty
    Jun 15 '16 at 21:55
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    @AvishaiEliYahu read again "To draw..."
    – kouty
    Jun 15 '16 at 22:10
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    @Adám you just failed the rorchach:)
    – user6591
    Sep 15 '16 at 0:22
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It seems not a problem since many jewish books had that on the title page

http://www.hebrewbooks.org/11696
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/11737
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/11898

so for a woman it should not be a problem (if it is not to be used for erotic proposes)
but for a man their might be a problem of pornography for himself even if it is not for erotic proposes of others

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    Many Jewish books were published by non-Jewish printers, and they may have inserted those publisher's pages into the front of the book against the Jewish author's volition. Are you aware of any books published by a Jewish publishing company with these drawings?
    – Chaim
    Jun 24 '16 at 15:28
  • No sources, the example of books you brought up does not imply it's allowed
    – Dan Weisberg
    Jun 6 '19 at 7:45
  • @Chaim the jews did not rip them out
    – hazoriz
    Jun 6 '19 at 9:12
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    Hazoriz The Maharal's works printed in his own lifetime had pictures with Moshe and Aharon. Moshe had literal horns, like a goat, in that picture. Does that mean Maharal believed that to be the case?
    – user6591
    Jun 6 '19 at 9:30
  • @user6591 no, it only means jews owning that book did not have a problem with this representation of moshe
    – hazoriz
    Jun 6 '19 at 9:58

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