by Jon Lackman | 19 June 2006 | Modern
Thierry Savatier’s study of Courbet’s Origin of the World (NSFW?) touts the painting as a manifesto for artistic liberty and modernity, and he chronicles its illustrious owners from Khalil Bey to Jacques Lacan. Reviewer Harry Bellet deems the story “devilishly exciting.” Famous literary personality Pierre Assouline has plugged the book on his blog, setting off a torrent of readers’ comments. He remarks that the book isn’t devoted to philosophical and aesthetic analysis but rather detailed detective-story narrative.
