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| Gustave Courbet The Origin of the World 1866 Musée d'Orsay |
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Rights (Photo / Work):
CC0 // Wikipedia List of sources: |
Focusing on the female genitalia as sole contents this picture marks a milestone in the depiction of the vulva. Courbet rebelled against the mythological exaggeration of women and their genitals in the salon painting[1] and opposes this realistic depiction to the illusionary representation of the vulva. For a long time this painting was not exhibited publicly, it was in the possession of the ottoman diplomat Khalil Bey, who had hidden it behind a courtain. For a later owner, the psychoanalyst Lacan, the artist André Masson made a painting that was superposed to Courbet's picture and shows a landscape based on the original lines of the original painting.[2] "The Origin of the World" represents a female torso without head, the opened legs reveal the woman's genitals showing inner and outer labia and a haired pubic triangle. The vagina is hidden behind. Comparing the painting's title to the Stone-Age signs for vulva of La Ferrassie, for example, it seems that the artist honours the woman as giver of life. Another interpretation of the painting results in a veneration of genuine sexuality.[3] It is for sure that Courbet exposed the female genitalia ensuring thus a respectful place in the history of art.
Biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Courbet (Translation: K. Seifter)
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