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Jean-Leon Gérôme made his debut at the age of 23 with his painting Hahnenkampf at the annual art exhibition of the Paris Salon and promptly received an award for it. His oeuvre is marked by journeys to Turkey, Egypt and the excavation sites of Pompeii, which inspire him to create mythical, historical and oriental paintings as well as sculptures. This is how he created works such as The Slave Market or The Christian Martyr's Last Prayer, which depict the sometimes so sober cruelty of antiquity. Gérôme endeavours to orientate himself to the historical-scientific knowledge of his time, and in doing so he researches very carefully.
But his noble clients love him precisely because of his sensual works. Paintings such as Greek Interior or Night with its subtle subliminal eroticism show this side of the artist. His most famous work is Pollice Verso, which has strongly influenced our modern idea of gladiator fights, not least because it has served as inspiration for makers from Hollywood's film industry. Thus Géromé is rightly called one of the great painters of 19th century historicism.
The artist's love of filigree detail says a lot about his personality. Thus he is considered a typical representative of Academic Realism, which demanded strict adherence to the formal technical and aesthetic rules of the art academies in the 17th-19th centuries. He was also a fierce opponent of Impressionism with its blurred colours and fought it vehemently. He died in Paris in 1904.
Jean-Leon Gérôme made his debut at the age of 23 with his painting Hahnenkampf at the annual art exhibition of the Paris Salon and promptly received an award for it. His oeuvre is marked by journeys to Turkey, Egypt and the excavation sites of Pompeii, which inspire him to create mythical, historical and oriental paintings as well as sculptures. This is how he created works such as The Slave Market or The Christian Martyr's Last Prayer, which depict the sometimes so sober cruelty of antiquity. Gérôme endeavours to orientate himself to the historical-scientific knowledge of his time, and in doing so he researches very carefully.
But his noble clients love him precisely because of his sensual works. Paintings such as Greek Interior or Night with its subtle subliminal eroticism show this side of the artist. His most famous work is Pollice Verso, which has strongly influenced our modern idea of gladiator fights, not least because it has served as inspiration for makers from Hollywood's film industry. Thus Géromé is rightly called one of the great painters of 19th century historicism.
The artist's love of filigree detail says a lot about his personality. Thus he is considered a typical representative of Academic Realism, which demanded strict adherence to the formal technical and aesthetic rules of the art academies in the 17th-19th centuries. He was also a fierce opponent of Impressionism with its blurred colours and fought it vehemently. He died in Paris in 1904.