The 200th Anniversary of Gustave Courbet: Painting, Eroticism, and Nature

Exactly 200 years after the birth of Gustave Courbet, the French artist and leader of the realism movement in painting, the works he created continue to attract many enthusiasts, and new articles and books about various aspects and 'mysteries' of this master painter's art are still being published. Courbet's works; the revolution of eroticism. Much has been written and said about the importance and status of Gustave Courbet's works in the world of art, especially 19th-century European painting, regarding how he, along with a few other painters, was able to establish the realism movement following the individualistic mentality and romantic fantasies of his time. Courbet managed to depict ordinary people in their own attire and clothing, gaining the support of some of the great writers of his contemporaries despite facing criticism. However, one aspect of this artist's works that has received less attention even in his homeland is Courbet's erotic works, even though eroticism is one of the central themes in this artist's painting world. At a time when addressing erotic subjects was more common in literature and poetry, Gustave Courbet uniquely introduced the female body and even their homosexuality into painting with his canvases of nude women. Some of Courbet's works have been publicly displayed for the first time on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of his birth. In fact, Courbet, in the mid-19th century known as the 'century of the dry saints,' created an erotic revolution by painting completely realistic nude women in accordance with natural proportions, instead of depicting unrealistic goddesses and angels, thus disrupting the aesthetic and moral order of his time. Undoubtedly, among the dozens of erotic paintings by Gustave Courbet, the painting 'The Origin of the World' is both the most famous and the result of an intellectual process. It seems that Courbet's intention in this painting, created over 150 years ago, was to reconstruct the female body and sexuality in art, which had been hidden by artists since ancient Greece. The secret life of an erotic painting. However, the creation of the painting 'The Origin of the World' and who the model for this painting was, remained one of the greatest secrets in art history for years. According to the latest book published on this subject in October last year in France, the story of this painting dates back to 1864 when Gustave Courbet painted a canvas of Venus and Psyche, two goddesses from ancient Greece, both depicted nude. The display of this painting was avoided in the Paris salon due to its 'outrageousness.' Two years later, Khalil Bey, a Turkish diplomat who was interested in painting and a collector of erotic artworks, learned about the existence of such a painting from the famous literary and art critic of the time, Sainte-Beuve. Khalil Bey went to Gustave Courbet's house in Paris to buy the nude painting of Venus and Psyche, but it had been sold shortly before. The Turkish diplomat asked the painter to create a similar one for him, but Courbet said he would paint the 'continuation of that painting,' and thus, Gustave Courbet painted 'The Origin of the World' in the summer of 1866 based on a commission. Undoubtedly, among the dozens of erotic paintings by Gustave Courbet, the painting 'The Origin of the World' is both the most famous and the result of an intellectual process. It seems that Courbet's intention in this painting, created over 150 years ago, was to reconstruct the female body and sexuality in art, which had been hidden by artists since ancient Greece. However, the creation of the painting 'The Origin of the World' and who the model for this painting was, remained one of the greatest secrets in art history for years. According to the latest book published on this subject in October last year in France, the story of this painting dates back to 1864 when Gustave Courbet painted a canvas of Venus and Psyche, two goddesses from ancient Greece, both depicted nude. The display of this painting was avoided in the Paris salon due to its 'outrageousness.' Two years later, Khalil Bey, a Turkish diplomat who was interested in painting and a collector of erotic artworks, learned about the existence of such a painting from the famous literary and art critic of the time, Sainte-Beuve. Khalil Bey went to Gustave Courbet's house in Paris to buy the nude painting of Venus and Psyche, but it had been sold shortly before. The Turkish diplomat asked the painter to create a similar one for him, but Courbet said he would paint the 'continuation of that painting,' and thus, Gustave Courbet painted 'The Origin of the World' in the summer of 1866 based on a commission. The painting 'The Origin of the World,' measuring 46 by 55 centimeters, now housed in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, depicts a nude woman lying down, with her head and breasts obscured, showing only a section from her abdomen to her open thighs. This painting, which remained unknown to the public until the late 20th century, is undoubtedly now the most important and famous artwork regarding the female genitalia. According to research conducted, the model for this painting was a woman named 'Constance Queniaux,' who was 34 years old at the time of its creation and had retired from her work as a dancer at the Paris opera. The identity of the model for 'The Origin of the World' was revealed when Alexandre Dumas fils, in a letter to George Sand in 1871, informed her about the depiction of 'the interior of Mademoiselle Queniaux' in one of Courbet's paintings. This letter is now preserved in the National Library of France. In fact, Constance Queniaux was one of Khalil Bey's mistresses, who became the most famous among them after the painting 'The Origin of the World' was created. The painting 'The Origin of the World' remained in Khalil Bey's possession for two years, during which he hung it in his home, covering it with a curtain and only showing it to select guests. This Turkish diplomat sold the painting in 1868 before leaving Paris, and from that time, the underground and secret life of this painting began. Until 1954, when it was purchased by Jacques Lacan, a famous French psychoanalyst and philosopher. Lacan died in 1981, but his wife kept the painting until her death in 1993. After her death, the heirs sold the painting to the French government, and it was publicly displayed for the first time in 1995 at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Although Courbet's significance is not limited to 'The Origin of the World,' as he was previously known for other prominent works such as 'The Stone Breakers' and 'The Bathers,' the public display of 'The Origin of the World' made it the most controversial work of this artist. For example, in 2016, a French teacher complained to Facebook due to the removal of this painting on the grounds of 'nudity.' Several years later, in 2003, in the city of Ornans in eastern France, near the Swiss border, projects were implemented, including the construction of a dedicated museum named after Gustave Courbet to honor this artist. This museum is specifically dedicated to Courbet's professional path in his youth and his training, as well as the landscapes he depicted in his hometown. The Gustave Courbet Museum is built on the site of the artist's parental home along the 'Lou' river, which has been expanded by adding two adjacent buildings and has a thousand square meters of exhibition space. Courbet moved to Paris at the age of 20 but never severed his connection with his hometown, drawing inspiration from the landscapes of his birthplace, from the Lou river to the high cliffs surrounding the city, as well as from ordinary people around him for his paintings. The painting 'Burial at Ornans' is one of his most famous works in this regard, which was exhibited in 1850. Courbet himself writes: 'To paint a country, one must know it. I know my country; I paint it... Go to Ornans and recognize all my paintings again.' In addition to Courbet's paintings, drawings, and sculptures, works by other 19th and 20th-century painters who followed Courbet are also displayed in this museum. Now, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Gustave Courbet's birth, an exhibition of his drawings is being held for the first time in this museum, which will continue until April. This exhibition, titled 'Courbet the Designer,' consists of nine sections: 'First Drawings,' 'Youth Drawings,' 'Paris and Bohemian Life,' 'Courbet the Illustrator,' 'Country and Landscapes,' 'The Chambon Case,' 'Portrait Drawings,' 'Design and Painting,' and 'Courbet in Exile.' Courbet showed interest in drawing during his teenage years when he attended a school in Besançon. Over time, he applied various drawing techniques in the works he created. After moving to Paris in his youth, he became acquainted with the writers and artists of the time. Some of the drawings left by Courbet are sketches he made of contemporary writers and artists, such as Charles Baudelaire, the famous 19th-century French poet. Additionally, while Courbet was in Paris, he worked for publishers illustrating books for a time. This activity brought him closer to the literary world. Some of Courbet's drawings also relate to his sketches of nature.