Portrait of Charles Baudelaire

Gustave Courbet painted the portrait of poet Charles Baudelaire in 1848 or early 1849, when the writer was still largely unknown and the two had recently established a friendship. Baudelaire was 26 years old, and Courbet depicts him as the "accursed poet," deep in thought and inspiration at a desk with pen and books.

The dark colors create an atmosphere of introspection, with light highlighting the setting rather than Baudelaire himself. This creates a parallel with the poet's later collection Spleen and the Ideal. Courbet and Baudelaire shared mutual respect: the poet often defended Courbet's Realist paintings against critics, and Courbet captured his friend's intellectual intensity.

The painting belonged to publisher Poulet-Malassis before collector Alfred Bruyas acquired it for 3,000 francs. Bruyas donated it to the Musée Fabre in Montpellier in 1876, where it remains. The portrait exemplifies the close ties between literature and visual art during this era.