PABELLO, RHAIZA P.

WS 10:30 AM – 12:00 NN
HUM SEPTEMBER 7, 2019

Truth Coming Out of Her Well to Shame Mankind by Jean-Léon Gérôme

This painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme is something I saw while scrolling through my Facebook
newsfeed. It is said to be a literal translation of the Greek philosopher, Democritus, saying “Of truth we
know nothing, for truth is in a well.” It caught my eye because of its relevance to the story of the naked
truth and the lie. The story goes that the truth and the lie met up on the road on a beautiful day. Upon
reaching a beautiful well, the lie invited the truth to swim with her. The truth accepts then they undress
and bathe together. Suddenly, the lie jumped out of the well, put on the truth’s clothes, and ran off to a
nearby village. Furious, the truth then leapt out of the well and ran to find her clothes. Upon seeing the
naked truth, the villagers were horrified and looked away with contempt and rage. The poor truth
returned to the well and disappeared, forever, hiding her shame. And since that day the lie travels the
world clothed as the truth. And this story is still relevant today. People still want the truth to be hidden
from the rest of the world. It is so easy for people to lie these days because we're afraid of the truth.
And we still justify the lengths we’ll go to just to keep the truth hidden. I just hope that one day, we
wouldn’t be so ashamed of the truth so she can come out from her well. I want her out of that well.