On January 22, 1817, during his "Grand Tour" of Italy, Stendhal discovered The Deposition (1528) by the Mannerist painter Pontormo. In 1990, Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini coined the term "Stendhal syndrome" to describe the lightning attacks, dizziness and hallucinations provoked by his admiration of this painting on wood. This syndrome characterizes the appearance of a violent psychosomatic disorder triggered by the sight of a work of art.
Le sexe de M., 2023 Collaged paper, gold leaf, red lacquer and books, 96 x 63 x 25 cm
The pomegranate is one of the great symbols of fertility. This symbolic dimension is found in a considerable number of cultures, from Greece to Japan, via Armenia, Iran and China. In all these countries, the pomegranate is the fruit linked to the Mother Goddess, the sign of the seasonal cycle and the symbol of fertility. The open pomegranate, whose color and gaping shape evoke the vagina, lets its many seeds escape, like "agglomerated seeds" (Paul Claudel). In this way, it is also an image of teaching, where those who "know" disseminate their knowledge and wisdom.