The Wounded Man by Gustave Courbet

The Wounded Man (1844)

Gustave Courbet | Realism | Oil on canvas

Courbet painted himself leaning against a tree with his eyes closed, a sword at his side and a bloodstain over his heart. But here's a secret: the first version showed a woman leaning on his shoulder! Around 1854 he painted her out and added the sword and the wound.

Did you know? The woman was probably Courbet's great love, Virginie Binet, who left him around 1851, but nobody knows for sure. Courbet kept this painting for the rest of his life, and France bought it in 1881, four years after he died.

Original held at Musée d'Orsay

Museum-quality giclée print on archival Enhanced Matte Art paper (200gsm) with fade-resistant pigment inks rated for 100+ years. Also available as gallery-wrapped canvas and custom framed.

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