La Femme au Masque affair involved Madame Camille du Gast in three discrete court cases in Paris in 1902. In 1885 Henri Gervex painted La Femme au Masque (The Masked Model), a notorious picture of his 22-year-old model Marie Renard standing naked apart from 'un masque domino' concealing her face. Her identity was never publicly revealed, causing great speculation and many accusations over time.
In 1902, during hostile family legal proceedings Maître Barboux, the barrister (lawyer, advocate (avocat)) accused Madam du Gast of having posed for the picture, and he handed a photograph of the painting around the court. She retaliated by bringing a legal action against Barboux, but even though both Henri Gervex and Marie Renard appeared for her, she lost, possibly because Barboux's character assassination was considered 'normal practice' in France. After Barboux left the court he was confronted by M. de Marcilly and Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord, the Prince de Sagan, her close friend, admirer and suitor, who punched him in the face (or gave him two slaps) and called him 'an insulter'. In September 1902 both of the men who had championed du Gast in this fashion were prosecuted at the 'Palais de Justice', the Prince was fined 500 francs and de Marcilly 100 francs. This salacious scandal was newsworthy around the world, being reported in detail in New Zealand and Australia, the West Gippsland Gazette waxing lyrical about her exotic appearance, demeanour, achievements and intellect.
Read more about this topic: Domino Mask