Goncourt, Edmond de

The brothers Edmond and Jules (1830–1870) de Goncourt were born in Nancy and Paris respectively. Their father was a high-ranking officer whose legacy allowed the siblings to dedicate their time to art, theatre and literature. The two brothers lived and worked together until Jules died of syphilis in 1870. Neither brother married. As to their work, they are perceived as one and the same since Edmond, who survived his brother by twenty-six years, continued to work in their signature style.