Truth

The Lie said to the Truth

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Written by Andy

Lie said to Truth:

“Let’s take a bath together, the well water is very nice.”

The Truth, still suspicious, tested the water and found out it really was nice. Truth and Lies got naked and bathed together in the warm water of the well. Suddenly, the Lie leapt out of the water and fled, wearing the clothes belonging to Truth.

Truth, furious, climbed out of the well to get her clothes back. But the world, upon seeing the naked Truth, looked away, with anger and contempt. Poor Truth returned to the well and disappeared forever, hiding her shame. Since then, Lie runs around the world, dressed as the Truth, and society is very happy…Because the world has no desire to know the naked Truth.

La Vérité sortant du puits armée de son martinet pour châtier l’humanité (Truth coming from the well armed with her whip to chastise mankind) is an 1896 painting by the French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme.

The picture arises from the words of the Greek philosopher Democritus: (ἐτεῇ δὲ οὐδὲν ἴδμεν: ἐν βυθῷ γὰρ ἡ ἀλήθεια) “In reality we know nothing, for the truth is in an buried in a hole”

The nudity of the model may arise from the expression la vérité nue, “the naked truth”.[2]

Undated photograph of Gérôme by Nadar, published in 1900.

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Andy

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