A Frenchman is suing Facebook for deleting his profile because he uploaded a 19th Century painting featuring a naked woman.

The father of three says he missed messages and "social contact" with his 800 friends when he was banned in 2011.

The painting, Gustave Courbet's 'The Origin of the World,' shows a close-up view of a woman's vagina as she lays on a bed.

The Mirror reports that the man's lawyer Stephane Cottineau said it is "inconceivable that Facebook, which has 28 million users in this country, can just be in France to make money, but not face up to its responsibilities.

"This blind censorship and refusal to reply to emails suggests he is not worthy of their attention and is someone who has acted immorally or illegally.

"Deleting his account is a breach of his human rights, which guarantees my client’s freedom of expression.

"It is also in breach of his rights as a consumer under French law."

Facebook's terms of use prohibit material that is "hateful, threatening, or pornographic, or that incites violence, or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence."