Sex at the Metropolitan

There's been a lot of hoopla over the Courbet show at the Metropolitan in NYC. Courbet, the Impressionist painter who hailed from the French countryside burst onto the Paris art scene in the 1800's. Rejected for his realist style, he started his own salon, as well as the movement in self-referential painting (he painted over 20 self-portraits!) and became a rock star. Many artists followed in his footsteps. The first two galleries of the exhibit are tame, focusing on Courbet's self portraits and French countryside. It's the middle gallery where things really heat up. As a commission, Courbet painted "The Origin of the World," a graphic depiction of (as they say in polite society), a woman's pudenda - in fact, each hair is so lovingly rendered it could be mistaken for Photorealism. Observing the throngs and their sidelong glances at the risque paining was a delicious, poetic pleasure. In the main gallery (the "Origin of the World" is behind a small wall in a 'side gallery' - interesting...) is "Sleeping," a large painting depicting two women in bed. You could feel the heat. While crowds gathered around these paintings, I registered the discomfiture - should I look? Should I look away? Interestingly, the men were less shy, and I hope that many of them had more than a prurient interest - the painting was quite beautiful and masterfully done.

creative process