Duel after a Masked Ball

G�r�me’s father, a goldsmith from Vesoul, discouraged his son from studying to become a painter but agreed, reluctantly, to allow him a trial period in the studio of Paul Delaroche in Paris. He traveled and studied in Italy, elsewhere in Europe, and in Asia Minor. The subjects that he enjoyed most were scenes of nature and animals. He is best known for mythological and history paintings that are typically anecdotal, painstaking, melodramatic, and frequently erotic.

The present painting, executed in a fairly free manner, was a resounding success at the 1857 Salon, after which the painter repeated it several times.