Duels : L'art Du Combat

Exhibition at the Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel national des Invalides, Paris, 24 April - 18 August 2024

David versus Goliath, Athos versus d'Artagnan, Chirac versus Mitterrand, Federer versus Nadal, Harry Potter versus Voldemort... from ancient Egypt to the present day, from the East to the West, men have fought duels in history as well as in fiction. Practised, tolerated or condemned, but always valued, the duel is a veritable social phenomenon that has spanned borders and ages. Fierce, flamboyant, serious or spectacular, today it remains a highly popular form of confrontation, in various forms, in the world of politics, sport, art and video games.

Drawing on texts by leading specialists and illustrated by almost two hundred objects, weapons, ancient manuscripts, contemporary photographs, costumes, archive documents, engravings and paintings, this exhibition catalogue sets out to explain what differentiates the duel from a simple confrontation, to reveal its specific nature, and to show how reality and fiction have influenced each other to anchor this phenomenon in the imagination for a long time to come. In this book, five contemporary illustrators offer their vision of the great duels of history through previously unpublished works.