A thought

I read this morning of two paintings by Delacroix, hanging side by side in the Louvre. One called 'Femmes d'Alger dans leur appartement' (illustrated left) and the other, more famous, called 'La Liberté guidant le peuple'.

The second might be offensive to Muslims for its depiction of a partly unclothed female.

While the first might be offensive for its intrusion into what was and is a very private space. Worse, the intrusion of a European conqueror. Painted in 1834, about the time that the very bloody invasion of Algeria by the French was getting under way.

So perhaps it is tactless to have such a picture on public view. It ought to be in the basement, to be seen by special appointment only, on production of a certificate of legitimate interest from a recognised faculty. But then I wonder whether there are comparable paintings of Europeans being bashed about or otherwise abused. What about paintings of Romans doing bad things to ancient Britons or of William the Bastard having the corpse of King Harold mutilated after the Battle of Hastings? Are there any such? I can only think of the Holman Hunt painting of British Christians hiding from the Druids which is not the same at all. And what about the insult of Waterloo station as the temporary endpoint of the Channel Tunnel?

In any event, a curious juxtaposition, one which makes one think. So perhaps curatorial mission accomplished.

I end with the thought that there should be a statute of limitations. That one does not get into a sweat about works of art created more than 100 years ago. One simply puts stickers on the door warning that there may be material offensive to some. Perhaps one could have little glyphs like those used on Wetherspoons menus to mark out the vegetarian and gluten free dishes. See reference 1 and the post which follows.

Reference 1: http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/food.

PS 1: readers wishing to develop the discussion should note that the models used for the paintng illustrated were French.

PS 2: and furthermore, the French should regard Waterloo as a great victory for the forces of 'Liberté, égalité, fraternité'. The battle which finally did for the blood thirsty tyrant who had lorded it over France and Europe for far too long. Personally responsible for far too many excess deaths.