Jean-Leon Gerome, The Duel After the Masquerade, 1857

Duels have tickled the fancies of audiences through just about every medium. From Shakespeare's Hamlet to the well beloved film Princess Bride, deft displays of sword play have remained a popular highlight in many works of fiction. However, Jean-Leon Gerome refuses to romanticize the dance of blades in his 1857 work, The Duel After the Masquerade. Entirely ignoring the entertaining bits of the battle, Gerome depicts instead the bloody aftermath: Two mortally wounded men carried in the arms of their companions.

I must admit that my first reaction to this painting was, "Woah!" or perhaps "Wicked cool!" or some other interjection to a similar effect. After all, just the title is enough to get the crowd going: "A duel after a masquerade?" a first time viewer might say, "I can get on board with that." But upon further inspection lasting a whopping three seconds, it hits you: This painting is a total buzz kill. Where are the masks? Where are the flashy clothes? Where are the damsels to be won for God's sake? All we're given are two dead - or wounded - guys, one of which wore his costume from the ball to a sword fight.

Of course, this is the point. The misty greens and purples that cloud the background, the ghostly horse and carriage hidden among the trees, the blood-stained snow, and yes, maybe even the sheer awkwardsness of the white costume bring to light the grim reality of dueling. The two men let their pride get the best of them. They engaged in the classic equivalent of the bar fight, likely over an insult or a contested love. Either way, they've both lost their lives and the beauty of the evening's events has been lost along with them, leaving behind only a dark and dismal night of regret.

While  stabbing that jerk who called your threads lame may seem like the easiest solution to the problem, when it ruins an otherwise wonderful night of olden time bro-ventures, a duel just isn't worth the cost.