Gisèle d'Estoc, pseudonym of Marie-Paule Alice Courbe[1] (27 March 1845 – 8 May 1894), was a French writer, sculptor, and feminist.
[6][7] During this time, she began a very strong, friendly relationship with Marie-Edmée Pau, also an artist, in which the two young women developed their affinity for Joan of Arc by exploring gender identities, according to Melanie C.
[1] At the end of the Second French Empire, continuing to refer to herself as "Mme Paule Parent-Desbarres",[8] she moved to Paris and began a literary career, her favorite themes being social justice and feminism.
She also had a difficult affair with a rider from the Cirque Medrano, Emma Rouër, whom Estoc eventually beat in a duel, injuring her left breast.
[10] After Estoc's death, her life was examined by Pierre Borel, a biographer, who created an unflattering image of her, describing her as a "fin de siècle ghoul".