A versatile and prolific author from the French Romantic period. Mérimée's first two publications, Le Théâtre de Clara Gazul (1825) and La Guzla (1827), are spurious productions attributed to fictitious authors or translators. His full length literary writings include the dramas La Jacquerie (1828) and La Famille de Carvajal (1828) as well as the novel La Chronique du règne de Charles IX (1829). His novellas and stories include Mateo Falcone (1829), Vision de Charles X (1829), L'Enlevement de la Redoute (1829), Tamango (1829), Federigo (1829), La Vase étrusque (1830), La Partie de trictrac (1830), La Double Meprise (1833), the collection Mosaïque (1833), La Vénus d'Ille (1837), Carmen (1845), the story that later formed the basis for Georges Bizet's opera of that name, Colomba (1840), Lokis (1868), and the posthumously published La Chambre bleue (1871) and Djoûmane (1870). Merimee was by profession an inspector of historical monuments, and his work led him to publish numerous historical works and travel accounts. He also translated several works from Russian and published criticism of Russian literature.