The Duel (Le Duel), from Essay on Butterflies Masquerading as Humans (Essai de Papilloneries Humaines)
Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin French
This print is from a whimsical series that depicts butterflies participating in a variety of human activities. The use of butterflies, papillon in French, may have been inspired by the verb papillonner, which had been invented earlier in the century to describe actions that are spontaneous and lighthearted.
In The Duel, two butterflies with noble bearing engage in a fencing match as their seconds look on from hanging ladders.
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