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Young Communards in Prison (Les Fédérés à la Conciergerie)

1871
Not on view
Courbet was arrested for his alleged role in the destruction of the Vendôme Column following the defeat of the Paris Commune in June 1871. He was initially jailed in the Conciergerie, where he must have executed this drawing showing two very young fellow prisoners in a graffiti-marked cell. He submitted the drawing for reproduction in the journal "L’Autographe" in September, perhaps aiming to solicit sympathy for the Communards facing trial. He dedicated the drawing to Léon Brigot, one of few lawyers who defended Communards, including the artist.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Young Communards in Prison (Les Fédérés à la Conciergerie)
  • Artist: Gustave Courbet (French, Ornans 1819–1877 La Tour-de-Peilz)
  • Date: 1871
  • Medium: Black chalk, stumped
  • Dimensions: Overall: 10 3/16 x 6 1/2 in. (25.9 x 16.6 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Guy Wildenstein, 1999
  • Object Number: 1999.251
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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