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Famous vulva painting sprayed over with red paint

The famous painting "Origin of the World" has now been sprayed over with red paint - the reason given is criticism of the art world.(Bild: AFP/Jean-Christophe Verhaegen)

In Metz, France, two women have sprayed red paint over the famous nude painting "The Origin of the World". According to their own statement, they wanted to challenge art history. Six men in the scene were "predators" and "censors", they said in an open letter.

The nude painting by Gustave Courbet itself has been causing outrage for 170 years. It is currently on display in an exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Metz - protected by a pane of glass. Art historians see it as a decisive step on the path to modernity and a break with tradition, as the vulva was depicted without any historical or mythological background.

Five paintings affected
The police have now announced that two women born in 1986 and 1993 sprayed the painting and three others. They wrote "MeToo" over the oil painting, an expression for sexual assault and male abuse of power. The painting was protected by a pane of glass and was therefore not damaged. The women were arrested.

A painting by the artist Deborah de Robertis(Bild: AFP/Jean-Christophe Verhaegen)

"You don't separate the woman from the artist"
A third person is said to have stolen an embroidery by a French artist from the exhibition. She is still on the run.

Shortly after the crime, the French-Luxembourgish performance artist Deborah de Robertis came forward with an open letter. She said that she had organized the vandalism, which was part of a feminist performance entitled "One does not separate the woman from the artist". Women are the origin of the world.

Here you can see the tweet from the French Minister of Culture.

No stranger to the artist
De Robertis is already known for her provocative actions. In 2018, she appeared naked in front of a cave in Lourdes, a Catholic pilgrimage site. She was sentenced to a fine at the time. Another case against her was dropped. The woman had shown her vagina in front of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.

"A work of art is not a poster that can be painted with the message of the day," criticized French Culture Minister Rachida Dati. The mayor of Metz spoke of an "attack on culture by fanatical feminists."