Lacan, the last owner of Courbetâs The Origin of the World, loved the painting so much that he couldnât even bring himself to look at it. Instead, he hid it behind a âsaferâ painting.
The Chinese called it the âvalley of the rosesâ (watch out for the thorns!), the Persians, the âhoney-potâ (watch out for the bees!), and the Greeks, âthe mound of Venusâ (mind the steep climb!); to each era its fantasies and its theories about the feminine mystique. Then there are the testimonies of poets, painters, and even of some famous psychiatrists. The Origin of the World is a work of art only suitable for lovers of intrigue.