Jean Calas says farewell to his wife before he is executed. Drawing, c. 1789, after D.N. Chodowiecki.

The son of Jean Calas killed himself; Calas, a Protestant, attempted to cover up the suicide only to find himself accused of murdering his son because he wanted to convert to Catholicism. Calas was executed and 'l'affaire Calas' became taken up by Voltaire as an example of religious intolerance