Melania Trump compares her nude modelling to Renaissance art

Melania Trump has compared her nude modelling to Renaissance art in a new video to promote her upcoming book.

The former first lady, 54, posted a video on social media defending her decision to pose naked for magazines in the 1990s and 2000s.

“Why do I stand proudly behind my nude modelling work?” she asked, in a voiceover.

“The more pressing question is: why has the media chosen to scrutinise my celebration of the human form in a fashion photoshoot?”

“Are we no longer able to appreciate the beauty of the human body?”

She spoke over photos of renaissance art pieces, including Michelangelo’s David’, Paul Cézanne’s ‘Bathers’, and John Collier’s ‘Lady Godiva.’

The video did not include photos of Mrs Trump nude.

One such image, depicting her lying on Donald Trump’s jet, was published on the front of GQ in 2000 for a feature headlined: “Naked supermodel special!”

She also posed nude in a French magazine in 1995, ten years before marrying Trump.

In the voiceover, Mrs Trump added: “Throughout history, master artists have revered the human shape, evoking profound emotions and admiration.

“We should honour our bodies and embrace the timeless tradition of using art as a powerful means of self-expression.”

Mrs Trump’s nude photos were republished by US media outlets in the run-up to the 2016 election, when her husband won the presidency.

She has seldom joined Trump on the campaign trail during the 2024 election, but made an appearance by his side on stage at the Republican National Convention in July.

Although she rarely comments on politics, she has become increasingly outspoken in recent weeks as she prepares for the publication of her memoir, Melania, on October 1.

She published a video questioning law enforcement’s response to the first assassination attempt against her husband, of the couple’s son, Barron.

Mrs Trump was born in Slovenia in 1970 and became a fashion model at the age of 16. She was introduced to Trump in Manhattan in 1998, and married him seven years later.

After Trump won the 2016 election, she became the second foreign-born first lady, after the English wife of John Quincy Adams, the sixth US president.