The Naked Truth
- Claude Gauthier
- Dec 29, 2024
- 4 min read
The Naked Truth and the Creativity of the Photographer
The expression refers to an aphorism by the philosopher Democritus: "We know nothing of the truth, for the truth is in a well [an abyss]." The nudity of the model refers to the expression "the naked truth."
This expression is also found in a fable attributed to Jean de La Fontaine , entitled The Truth and the Lie . According to this story, Truth and the Lie bathe together in a lake. The Lie steals Truth's clothes to disguise himself and deceive people, while Truth, refusing to wear the Lie's clothes, decides to remain naked to symbolize his authenticity.
Where does the photographer's inspiration come from? Here is an example from painting that illustrates well how inspiration inhabits an artist, and how this inspiration allows to create an original work that reflects the influence of the social values of the society of the time on the artist's vision.
The allegory of the painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1896)
The painting tells the story of the meeting between Truth and Lie on a beautiful summer day. Lie says to Truth: "Today is a wonderful day!" Truth looks up to the sky and sighs, because it was a really beautiful day. So they spend some time together and finally come to a well. Lie says to Truth: "The water is very beautiful, let's take a bath together!" Truth, again suspicious, tests the water and discovers that it was really very nice. They undress and start bathing. Suddenly, Lie comes out of the water, puts on Truth's clothes and runs away. Truth, furious, comes out of the well and runs around to find Lie to get his clothes back. The world, seeing Truth naked, looks away in contempt and rage.
Poor Truth returns to the well and disappears forever, thus hiding its shame. Since then, the Lie has been traveling around the world, disguised as Truth, satisfying the needs of society, because, in any case, the world absolutely does not want to meet the naked Truth.
Jean-Léon Gérôme's painting entitled "Mendacibus et histrionibus occisa, dans puteo jacet alma Veritas" , which in Latin means "Killed by liars and hypocrites, the noble Truth lies in a well", is a symbolic work rich in meanings and allegorical allusions.
The visual and symbolic elements of Gérôme's painting
The Naked Truth: At the center of the composition, a naked woman lies at the bottom of a well. Nudity here symbolizes purity and the absence of subterfuge. She is presented in a posture that can evoke vulnerability or abandonment, marking her state of helplessness in the face of the forces that have brought her down.
The Well: The well is a recurring symbol of mystery and hidden depth. In this work, it represents the place where Truth is buried, out of reach of the world.
The Liars and Histrions: Although these figures are not directly represented in the scene, the title suggests their destructive role. They embody those who distort or conceal the truth for their own advantage.
The photographer's inspiration
"Photography is an art. Photography forces artists to shed the old routine and forget the old formulas. It has opened our eyes and forced us to look at what we had never seen before, a considerable and inestimable service it has rendered to Art. It is thanks to it that Truth has finally come out of its well. It will never go back in."
During the process of creating a portrait, the photographer's inspiration develops on two levels: the interrelation with the model and the development of a supporting concept.
The model-photographer relationship is the first level of inspiration, similar to the relationship between the muse and her painter. The model inspires and the creative process leads the model to contribute to the process. In a favorable context, the production process is a joint effort where the subject offers ideas , poses and a dynamism of his own. In contrast to the relationship between a live model and a painter, the interaction and involvement of the model in a photo session is much more important. The inspiration, mobility and expression of the photo model is an essential component to the success of the photo session.
On the contrary, the conceptual aspect is rather the photographer's contribution. On this front, the experience of previous projects, the knowledge of the world of creation and its historical references as well as the imagination are the three elements that guide the process. Without suggesting an order of importance, one or more of these components animate the photographer's act of creation.
On another front, the ability to achieve requires technical and operational skills, which generally do not involve creativity.
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