This Wounded Man by Gustave Courbet, like a heartbroken duelist, lies at the foot of a tree as if waiting for death. In any case, this is the interpretation suggested by the sword leaning against the trunk, whose shiny pommel catches our eye. However, modern radiography techniques have made it possible to trace the genesis of this painting, and to illuminate this image in a new light.

Indeed, the X-rays revealed three different versions of the painting, the first two being concealed under the final coat of paint. The first consisted of a simple portrait by Courbet of his mistress Virginie Binet. In the second, the painter had added a