Thank you for reading and sharing your perspective. You make a lot of points and I find it easier to respond numerically as well :)

1. While I think you’re trying to imply a connotative distinction between naked and nude there is no denotative difference in the definitions. You’ll note I use both words interchangeably throughout this article but I’m not totally sure what distinction you’re trying to make? But more importantly, as I’ve said throughout this comment thread I do not think that nudity = pornography. And as I have said not all female nudity is inherently sexist or oppressive, nor does it all objectify and marginalize women. The nudes that I have framed around my house do not. Nor does a particular piece of photography I wrote an entire article about.
2. The David, like the covering-her-sex Venus de Milo, stands magnificently alone, unmistakably grandiose. He stands passively behind no one.
3. I would also like to read any articles about the “*organised*, *structural*, and *institutionalised* sexism in all male monotheistic belief systems.” Any you recommend?
4. Your opinion that she could be someone of importance to him is a valid possibility, but it is just as personal and just as unprovable as my opinion that she’s appears merely decorative. That’s often how opinions work. But I still find the fact that she’s naked to be unnecessary in a room full of clothed people. He is not painting her. She does not need to be naked. And as everyone else is bulkily clothed I doubt it is even recreational nudity weather.
5. And I suppose one of the interesting things about art is that the artist won’t always be there to explain the back story. But there’s a large body of literature about whether or not “good” art must speak for itself — without a pedantic explanation from the artist.
6. I still think this painting is analogous to selfie self-esteem boosting. And I don’t think that’s inherently and always a bad thing.
7. The nudity/nakedness of the crucifixion is a scripturally accurate depiction of what the Roman soldiers did to Jesus in Golgotha — they stripped him of his garments and “divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.” Public humiliation was a very common practice against political prisoners. Our artwork doesn’t sanitize that fact when we commemorate Jesus’ suffering.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts!