So most of us that live on the internet are familiar with the meme of truth coming out of her well to shame mankind but that is actually what the painting is genuinely about. Truth Coming From The Well Armed With Her Whip To Chastise Mankind is its actual title and it was painted in 1896 by Jean-Léon Gérôme
Its actually part of a series which became some of his most famous work as is evidenced by the popularity of that meme. He exhibited the first part of the series the year before in 1895 which ppl loved so he continued with his plan and made the full 3-part series. In the whole series the story goes that Truth has been thrown down the well by liars with her hand mirror so she can’t reflect ppl back at themselves
she comes back from the dead and climbs out of the well looking for revenge which is absolutely iconic if u ask me
The well is in a corner of a walled city and wells were often communal things unless u had the money to own ur own source of water (private wells? In this economy? I don’t think) this suggests to us that it was not a private affair and it was likely a group effort to get rid of Truth.
As she steps out this image captures her in stasis - frozen forever to never actually be fully out of the well and to never actually touch the ground. She identifies as a constant threat leading with that cat of nine tails whip which is less kink more corporal punishment
In the top right hand corner we see the sun's warm glow leaving us late afternoon while the rest of the painting is pale and cold. Even the green leafery in the background is pale but alive showing that survival is possible in the cold and dark
These cold vibes are coming from the vengeful Truth herself as even the warmth and the sun runs away from a resurrected Truth. Nothing can stop Truth, not even death.
This series of paintings was the Jennifer’s Body of the 1890s
Émile Bayard said in 1902 that it was an allegory for the influence photography was having on society, suggesting that Truth was now well and truly out of the well but i think we could take that further now and say similarly about it being an allegory for social media/reality TV etc. altho i’d say truth will never be fully out of her well and doing just fine she will always be that constant threat and constantly and slowly on the move
Jean-Léon Gérôme was found dead in front of this painting in 1904 which is the most over dramatic goth way to go only beaten by being buried in front of a statue he has sculpted as a personification of Pain