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Gustave Courbet
Gustave Chaudey, 1868
This modest portrait is an important document of both a friendshuip and a violent political period in the history of France. Courbet was a friend of Gustave Chaudey, a lawyer who represented the artist in business and legal affairs. Both men supported the radical government called the Paris Commune, which ruled Paris in 1871. However, Chaudey was suspected of treason by the Commune and subsequently imprisoned. Courbet argued unsuccessfully for his release: Chaudey was executed on May 29, 1871, just six days before the Communard government fell. |