Scandalous Art: An Interview With Author And Artist Lilianne Milgrom
Author and artist Lilianne Milgrom has spent her life living and working around the globe, and her experience and creativity appears in both her art and her interviews. Born in Paris, raised in Australia, and with time spent in Israel and currently the United States, Lilianne brings all of these elements together beautifully in her work.
We sat down with her to talk a little more about her debut novel, L’Origine: A Novel, based on the scandalous history of an explicit painting by maverick French artist Gustave Courbet in 1866, “L’Origine du monde” or The Origin of the World.
We hope you will enjoy this interview as much as we did!
Tell us a little bit about L’Origine: what inspired you to begin? When did you decide to put pen to paper, or finger to key?
Actually, L’Origine, the book, was inspired by L’Origine, the painting! I’m referring to Gustave Courbet’s 19th century portrait of a woman’s genitals–no legs, no arms, no head. Just ladybits. The painting’s full title is L’Origine du monde (The Origin of the World) which in itself is a massive statement considering the subject. I encountered the painting at Paris’ Orsay Museum about a decade ago during an extended artist residency. Once you see this painting, you won’t easily forget it! In fact, I was so smitten that I finagled my way into becoming the first artist authorized by the museum to copy this iconic work, and the rest is history (literally).
As a woman, painting a vagina in public over a period of six weeks was a life-altering experience. I came away with a heightened sense of my own sexuality and a lot of questions about society’s ambiguous relationship with female nudity. My intimate encounter with the painting instilled in me an enormous respect and appreciation for its creator. When I began digging further into the painting’s history, I discovered that it had been hidden for a century and a half. I never set out to write a novel but I felt compelled to tell this remarkable story. Ten years of research and writing later, L’Origine: The secret life of the world’s most erotic masterpiece was born!
Do you think any artwork today, or single piece of art, causes the same sensation as the subject of your work, L’Origine du monde?
Great question. Of course, I’m biased but it’s important to differentiate between sensational art created solely to give the artist his or her five minutes of fame, and true masterpieces that stand the test of time. There are so many artists striving to be noticed in this day and age that there’s no lack of art that pushes boundaries to get attention. One of the important motivators for writing the book was to dispel the notion that Gustave Courbet painted L’Origine because he was a misogynistic pervert, or alternatively for shock value. It may surprise people to know that the painting was painted as a private commission for a Turkish diplomat and was first exhibited publicly in the 1990’s!
Don’t get me wrong–Courbet was definitely a rule breaker and a rebel, and never missed an opportunity to antagonize existing institutions and norms. That’s why I fell in love with him, apart from the fact that he was a dead ringer for Johnny Depp!
How has your reception for your novel been different from your artwork?
I noticed a glaring difference–a book has the potential to reach a far greater audience than one artwork could possibly have (unless you’re talking about the Mona Lisa). I can spend six months on a single painting, have it exhibited in a gallery, and if I’m lucky, a hundred people will see it. And if I’m luckier still, one collector may buy it but then it’s out of circulation and out of the public eye forever. Not so with a book.
I also noticed that promoting another artist’s work is much less emotionally fraught than promoting my own work. I can speak ad nauseum about Courbet’s L’Origine du monde, but when I have to market my own work I’m not quite as confident–it’s so much more personal somehow.
On your blog, you’ve shared that you were recently at a writer’s residency in France. Can you give readers a hint about what they can expect next?
I’ve had a long career as a freelance art journalist as well as an artist, but now I’ve caught the novel-writing bug. I split my time between my studio and my writing desk. I like historical fiction because I adore researching and discovering juicy bits of history.
I’m currently working on getting inside the head of a rather notorious French prostitute whose trial for the murder of her husband (an Egyptian prince) has been called ‘one of the most notorious trials of the 20th century’. As a psychology major, I am fascinated with how one’s personality is formed by random, often traumatic, events in one’s life...
As a fun question, do you have a favorite dive bar or night spot in Paris that you send everyone to when they visit?
Oh la la! I couldn’t possibly limit myself. Unfortunately, some of my favorite places didn’t make it through Covid but these days I’m more into a great meal in a small, cozy restaurant than a dive bar. I know it’s a cliché, but seriously, if you just walk around Paris, you will stumble on the most amazing and off the grid places. I adore the Latin Quarter, the Marais district and Montmartre. I also discovered some great places on Instagram #parisbars. And on a final note, there’s a cheeky book out there called Naughty Paris: A Lady’s Guide to the Sexy City....