The Origin of the World

Gustave Courbet (1819-1877): The Origin of the World (L'Origine du monde, 1866) Courbet regularly painted female nudes, sometimes in a frankly libertine vein… But in The Origin of the World he went to lengths of daring and frankness which gave his painting its peculiar fascination… Such unsanctified nudes provoked much discussion about flaws in Courbet's character and art, but the artist reveled in the added attention and increased reputation as a confrontational artist… The Origin of the World, now openly displayed, has taken its proper place in the history of modern painting…