The humor was intended to be comical and absurd, with English sauce.
But the ear stuck through their throats and was erased from the museum shop.
Let's rewind.
At first glance, the Courtauld Collection Shop, London's den of Impressionist painting, looks like any other museum shop.
Cups, books, puzzles,
tote bags
and other accessories flocked with masterpieces from the collection slumber on immaculate repositories.
They have been joined, since the beginning of the month, by many Van Gogh products, to accompany the new exhibition devoted to the painter's self-portraits.
Including several audacious objects.
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Soap for
"tortured artist who likes foamy bubbles"
and an
"emotional first aid kit"
in the shape of a pack of cigarettes are thus part of the batch of exclusive derivative products offered for sale on the sidelines of the Van Gogh exhibition.
But the most sulphurous of all was also the smallest.
It was an ear-shaped eraser, mischievously dubbed
“Earaser”
.
An English pun on
"ear"
and
"eraser"
(eraser), on which is added the reference to the severed ear of the post-impressionist painter.
Designed by the American company Fred, long before the exhibition of the Courtauld collection, the somewhat macabre object might not have been denied by Monty Python.
But it no longer passes through Her Majesty's kingdom.
An “emotional first aid kit” sold at the Courtauld Collection Shop.
The object is still sold to the museum.
The Courtauld Gallery
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The cut off ear of the shop
"I can't believe this isn't a fake joke in bad taste that someone from the marketing department would have indulged in after work and from a pub"
, was indignant on February 13 the critic of art David Lee, for the
Daily Mail
.
Would they do the same for a
Frida Kahlo exhibit
, selling leg-shaped pencils?”
Crippled because of their bad taste,
“the ear to be erased”
and the other products with the colors of the exhibition were also singled out for their insensitivity towards people suffering from mental disorders.
“Suicide is no joke, mental illness is no joke.
All this is superficial,
, was scandalized the contemporary British artist Charles Thomson, also quoted by the
Daily Mail
.
In response to the controversy, the Courtauld collection removed the sulphurous eraser - as well as the turbulent soap - from its shop on Monday and apologized.
"We take mental health very seriously
," the museum said in a statement.
It was never the intention of the Courtauld Collection to disrespect and disrespect this important subject by presenting such objects.”
No offense to critics who did not hear it that way, the objects in question remain available on the site of the American manufacturer.
While waiting for that to be done, in turn, pull the ears.