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L'Origine du monde Returns to Courbet's Hometown in Major Ornans Exhibition

exhibition · 2026-04-24

From June 7 to September 1, 2014, the Musée Gustave Courbet in Ornans, France, will present "Cet Obscur objet de désirs – Autour de L'Origine du monde," showcasing Gustave Courbet's L'Origine du monde, which is typically housed at the Musée d'Orsay. President Guy Cogeval approved the loan, emphasizing its rightful place in Ornans. The exhibition also features a replica by René Magritte, sketches by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, and a portrait of Madame de Loynes. Additional notable works include pieces by Carracci, Rembrandt, Degas, and a contemporary creation by Helmut Newton. The exhibition catalogue, produced by Éditions Lienart, includes contributions from various authors. This event follows the previous year's successful Cézanne/Courbet exhibition.

Key facts

  • Exhibition runs June 7 to September 1, 2014 at Musée Gustave Courbet, Ornans
  • L'Origine du monde is loaned from Musée d'Orsay to Courbet's hometown
  • Guy Cogeval, president of Musée d'Orsay, approved the loan as exceptional
  • Exhibition includes a copy attributed to René Magritte (c. 1940)
  • Portrait of Madame de Loynes by Amaury Duval connects Khalil-Bey to Courbet
  • Khalil-Bey, Ottoman diplomat, was the first owner of L'Origine du monde
  • André Masson etching from 1964 replaces the landscape that concealed the painting
  • Helmut Newton self-portrait in front of L'Origine du monde is included
  • Catalogue features essays by Thierry Savatier, Isolde Pludermacher, and others
  • Previous exhibition at the museum was Cézanne/Courbet in 2013

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Musée Gustave Courbet
  • Musée d'Orsay
  • Musée de l'Orangerie
  • Lachaise Foundation
  • Bibliothèque nationale de France
  • Bibliothèque municipale de Besançon
  • Musée de Besançon
  • Grand Palais
  • Éditions Lienart
  • artpress
  • Le Seuil
  • The Graphic
  • Le Hanneton

Locations

  • Ornans
  • France
  • Doubs
  • Paris
  • Budapest
  • Hungary
  • Boston
  • United States
  • Philadelphia
  • Besançon
  • Clermont-Ferrand
  • Puy-de-Dôme
  • Padua
  • Italy

Sources