Facebook Censors Famous French Painting

Gustave Courbet's The Origin of the World hangs in Paris' renowned Musee d'Orsay—but good luck posting it on Facebook. A French man made the painting, which features a woman's, ahem, lower half, his profile picture—and found his profile deleted. He is now suing the social networking site, the Telegraph reports. His lawyer calls the action "blind censorship" and says Facebook has not answered emails demanding that his client's page be reinstated.

A Danish artist who posted the same painting also had his account deactivated in February; Facebook eventually reactivated it, but only on the condition that he wouldn't post any more nude pictures. Gawker notes that a French writer who, in an act of solidarity, also made the painting his profile picture found his account axed as well. (More Musee D'Orsay stories.)