It's a pity that Truth never got out of the well. About the most famous painting by Jean-Louis Gérôme.

Many of the paintings have interesting and non-trivial plots, knowledge of which allows us to fully reveal their meaning.

The French academic artist Jean-Louis Gérôme, being a student of Paul Delaroche and Charles Gleyre, adopted from them not only the basics of skill, but also a passion for traveling and depicting various oriental exotica, that is, all sorts of scenes from harems, where the main characters were naked odalisques.

Pool in the harem

After bathing.

Moorish bath. 1885

In many ways, this was a response to the needs of the emerging French bourgeoisie for refined salon paintings with a slight touch of eroticism. But since it was forbidden to paint ordinary Parisian women naked: it is enough to recall Manet's sensational painting "Olympia", then it was necessary to resort to tricks and depict only all sorts of naiads, goddesses or, at worst, exotic Eastern concubines.

However, Jerome also painted portraits, as well as paintings on historical and mythological themes, such as, for example, the famous "Truth Choosing from the Well".

Truth Coming Out of Her Well. 1896

Here, however, things are much more complicated and interesting. He tried to maintain a balance between the almost documentary reconstruction of the events depicted in his paintings and some personal impressions or the desire to express his opinion on the most important events in France in the mid-late 19th century.

The Duel After the Masquerade. 1859

In many ways, all of this was an imitation of the famous artist Dominique Ingres, who painted through the prism of social phenomena. Gérôme decided to move away from the typical academic idealization of his characters, although he did not miss the opportunity to depict the naked female body in the most attractive way.

Slave Market in Rome. 1884

Moorish Bath. 1870

Cleopatra and Caesar. 1866

All this was reflected in his famous painting "Truth Coming Out of the Well", written based on impressions from the famous Dreyfus affair in France at that time. According to it, Captain Alfred Dreyfus was suspected of spying for Germany and sent into exile for life. But this ordinary case had several unpleasant nuances. The documents on the basis of which the accusation was brought turned out to be false, and Dreyfus himself was a Jew. That is, the French authorities simply found a scapegoat and followed the lead of anti-Semitic sentiments in society. It is not surprising that many progressive artists were extremely dissatisfied with such arbitrariness. By the way, his trial lasted for 12 years, and Jerome simply did not live to see it end.

The Tulip Folly. 1882

The End of the Corrida. 1870

As a basis, Jerome took the famous phrase of the Greek philosopher Democritus, "Truth lies at the bottom of the well." The resulting painting turned out to be so remarkable that it still serves as the basis for numerous memes. Well, in fact, from the classical academic painting, with which some viewers associate "real" art, there is only the beautiful naked body of Truth. Truth's face is distorted with anger, here you are more likely to be afraid of this overly emotional lady than to admire her beauty.

Jerome never sold this painting, hung it at the head of his bed, and according to his biographer Charles Moreau-Vauthier, before his death he stretched out his hands to his best creation, as if wanting to say goodbye to it one last time.

Pollice verso

In 1898, the French artist Edouard Debat-Ponsan presented his vision of Truth emerging from a well.

Edouard Debat-Ponsan. Truth emerging from the well.

Truth's face is more attractive, she no longer blazes with anger and rather evokes sympathy. But she is not allowed to get out into the light of day: two men, personifying brute force and judicial arbitrariness - it is no coincidence that one of them has a bandage instead of a face, are trying with all their might to hold Truth back and return her to her former place, where no one can see her. However, according to art critics, Gerome's painting is much more memorable, painted with greater skill, and created two years earlier.

And I want to hope that Truth will get out of the well not only in Gerome's painting.

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