Okay I thought this was cool so I looked for more information which I will now share with the class.
This is not The truth at the bottom of a well. This is Truth coming from the well armed with her whip to chastise humanity) .
From Wikipedia:
Starting in the mid-1890s, during the final decade of his life, Gérôme made at least four paintings personifying Truth as a nude woman, either thrown into, at the bottom of, or emerging from a well. The imagery arises from a translation of an aphorism of the philosopher Democritus, "Of truth we know nothing, for truth is in a well".
Also from Wikipedia: They think it's about a political scandal (Dreyfus Affair) and also a protest against Impressionism.
Neat!
Bonus, the other paintings The nurturer Truth lies in a well, having been killed by liars and actors
Truth is at the Bottom of the Well (different from the other one previously mentioned above)