In this thread, Unauthorized Cinnamon introduces us to the horror that is ‘The Garden of Prayer’, a hummingbird seemingly caught in the act of pushing one out, with a garden of earthly delights airbrushed onto its wings.
But I think we can do better than that.
I challenge you to find me the cringiest serious art you can. Doesn’t necessarily have to be religious. If it’s tasteless, tacky, or just plain bizarre, it’s in. The critera are only that it has to be a) earnest, and b) make you cringe in a sort of glurgy way. Velvet Elvis clocks are therefore out.
In laying down the gauntlet, I challenge you to find worse than Incarnation. (Warning: has a man’s winkie in it, so though it’s art, it may be NSFW if you’re John Ashcroft.)
Strangely, the winkie seems to be emanating some sort of floating tendrils, which are raining down a golden shower on the Christ-figure’s head. He appears to be scooping it up in a cup, or perhaps playing the tambourine. Or is the youth being born? If so, why is the birth fire flowing up his knob?
I submit an historical example, by the artist I loathe most of all, William Holman Hunt, the Hireling Shepherd
Everything he does makes me shudder. I want to just slap him and Ford Maddox Brown around a bit.
For another historical example, see Fragonard’s The Swing. Admittedly, nowhere near as repulsive as the OP’s examples. Still, it’s pretty ridiculously glurgy, and its only purpose was to titillate 18th century French nobles.
That one guy’s getting an 18thC upskirt! No wonder he looks so goofy. Shame he’s dressed like Little Lord Fucking Fauntleroy.
From the artist of my OP, I also present Allegory of Diana (I am not sure what the allegory is - that she was England’s lily, not England’s rose? Flower of death?) and this… this… WTF. I have no words.
Yeah, I guess I should qualify my selection criteria with “technically accomplished” - even if it is only one technique… Those, I just feel pangs of sympathy for.
+ 
= 
