Origin of the World
This whole thing, the Creationist ideology that is, really amazes me. It reminds me the confused state our beautiful government is in. Whatever they or the people of science claim, it may very well be the artist who has the final say in the whereabouts of our origin.
Halil Bey was the Ottoman ambassador to Paris in the 1880’s. Born in Egypt, he was a great art lover and known to order paintings from popular artists of the time; unlike today, ambassadors were paid very well in those days. Like most of us, he had a few flaws in character, though, one of which happened to be gambling.
Gustave Courbet, the renowned painter, gave “Origine du Monde” to Halil Bey as a present when he delivered “Sleep”, the painting Halil bey had ordered. From the names of the paintings, one could tell they had another flaw in common.
Anyway, upon declaring Chapter 11 or whatever its equivalent those days, Halil Bey had to return to Istanbul in 1888 and his collection were sold to cover his debts.
The trail of “The Origin of the World” was lost for a while as it was usually traded in secret due to its erotic nature but ended up in Budapest when a Hungarian, Count Hatvany bought it from a gallery in Paris in 1913. But Madame Fortune had other plans. His castle was raided first by Nazis, then by Russians in 1944, and the painting disappeared. Hatvany, stubborn or determined, did not give up. He located the painting in Paris and bought it again in 1950. But, either he too had a flaw or his castle’s expenses soared, the exact reason unknown, he had to sell it soon after the purchase.
The painting, finally made its way to its penultimate owners, psychiatrist Jacques Lacan and his wife Sylvia in 1955. To counter its hypnotic effect, Sylvia’s brother in law, the painter Andre Masson, another master of the craft made a sliding cover for the painting, so that only the privileged could see it.
Alas, it proved difficult to hide “the origin” that defied science and religion from unworthy eyes, as Sylvia Lacan’s heirs had to give it to the French state in lieu of their taxes. Now, Origine du Monde is in its supposedly final resting place in Musee d’Orsay for you to learn the truth.
Don’t worry, it is perfectly safe for work, unless you drag the cover of course.
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