Having studied literature and history, Georges Riat went on to the prestigious Ecole nationale des chartes before becoming a curator at the National Library of France. Specialising in the conservation of engravings at the National Library, Riat especially admired Ruysdaël's engravings, on which he wrote an important monograph. A respected art historian, his articles often appeared in the Gazette des arts. He later focused exclusively on his monograph of Courbet. Revisiting the wide-ranging testimonies of the era, this work is truly an exceptional resource on the life and work of Gustave Courbet.