General Mellinet and chief Rabbi of Astruc

The double portrait of General Mellinet and Chief Rabbi Astruk was created by Degas in 1871 - long before the Dreyfus affair split Europe and before the artist began to openly declare his anti-Semitic views. In the meantime, he has not refused a request to draw these two together at their request, "as a sign of fraternal efforts." The fact is that Astruk and Mellinet worked together in the ambulance service, helping the wounded in Paris during the siege during the Franco-Prussian war. Astruk is an expert on Judaism, chief rabbi of Belgium and assistant to the chief rabbi of Paris. Mellinet (Melline) is a staunch republican, anti-clerical and freemason. In the picture they seem to be "together and separately": each character is worked out in the most contrast.

This work was kept in the collection of the famous philanthropist Charles Ephrussi, who comes from a wealthy Jewish banking family. Degas subsequently ended relations with him on the wave of anti-Semitic sentiments in society.

In 2019-2020, the painting was shown at the "Ephrussi. Time Travel" exhibition at the Jewish Museum in Vienna.