JEAN-FREDERIC SCHALL (1752-1825) "General Lacombe Saint Michel liberating the Ligurian prisoners of Tunis". Oil on canvas (restorations, repainted). 82 x 100 cm. Gilded wood frame (small chips) Provenance : Sale Paris, Me TAJAN, June 17, 1997, n° 55. Sale Versailles, Me PILLON, 20 March 2016, n°41. Bibliography : André GIRODIE. Un peintre des fêtes galantes, Jean-Frédéric Schall (Strasbourg 1752-1825) (Strasbourg, 1927): p. 61: According to the author, a sketch of this subject by SCHALL was then kept in the TROUËSSART collection: "... Jean-Pierre Lacombe- Saint-Michel, representative of the Tarn since 1791, /.../ was then deputy to the Council of Ancients. An important figure of the French Revolution and Schall's protector, Lacombe Saint Michel, who became a major general, inspired the artist to create a sketch based on the episode of his stay in Tunis (1797) where, transported by the Corsairs, he delivered the French prisoners... In the background, through a series of arches, we see the city of Tunis with a minaret on the left, the sea beyond. In the foreground, the general in a costume that seems to be that of the Directoire period, standing, extends his left arm towards the prisoners and, with his right hand, stretched out towards the sea, seems to be pointing to the homeland to which they are about to be returned. A woman, dressed in white, with a yellow scarf with a red border, standing at the side of the general, joins her hands, seized with emotion at the sight of the prisoners who are under her eyes. They are grouped to the right, all of them stretching their arms towards the general to give him thanks; one of them is sitting down and a negro jailer is untying the irons on his ankle". The dimensions indicated (31 x 24 cm) prevent us from seeing our painting, but the perfect description allows us to recognize the subject, which was known to the author only by the sketch he describes. The Benezit mentions the painting at the date of 1797 without specifying if it is a sketch, but JF HEIM and Claire BERAUD, in their book "Les salons de peinture de la Révolution française, 1789-1799; 2000" do not mention any subject of the artist at this date. History : The Ligurian crew and passengers of the ship La Madona del porto Salvo, as well as the general Lacombe Saint Michel were taken by privateers. Recognized, the general was set free but the ship and the crew were recognized as a good catch. When he arrived in the roadstead of Tunis, Lacombe Saint Michel went to the Bey who claimed that the Ligurians were his prisoners and that they were brought with the slaves and treated as such. Lacombe declared that he would not leave Tunis without the Ligurians and that if necessary their ransom would be paid by the Republic. Immediately the ship, the crew and the passengers were free. The Directory wrote the following letter to the liberator: "What happiness for you to be able to say I have saved so many unfortunate people!" According to the various accounts of this event, it took place in December 1798 (for the capture) and January 1799 (for the liberation). Lacombe was accompanied in particular by Jean François Sieyès, brother of the abbot.