Jean-Leon Gerome
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YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY CALIFORNIA ART CLUB NEWSLETTER Documenting California’s Traditional Arts Heritage for More Than 100 Years Jean-Léon Gérôme: Recalling the Pinnacle of Fine Art by Elaine Adams hat the average public knows about nineteenth century art is Wonly a small fraction of its extensive reality. Ask someone what was the most popular art movement of the late nineteenth century, and most would respond French Impressionism, completely dismissing the popular and simultaneous art movements of the Pre-Raphaelites, the Barbizons, the Neo- Classicists, the Naturalists, Art Nouveau, and the Symbolists. And what does the average public know about the painter and sculptor, Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904) who started out as a Neo-grecist and ended up as a Realist and an Orientalist? The road that was built on centuries of aesthetics based on the art of the Classical Greeks and Romans and the Italian Renaissance divided in the late nineteenth century. The split became evident with Post-Impressionism followed by Fauvism, Expressionism, Dadaism, Cubism, Bauhausism, Abstract Expressionism, and Conceptualism—leading further and further away from the natural and spiritual, and moving closer to the existential and experimental. While The Muezzin, 1865 these “isms” monopolized critical praise Oil on canvas 320325 1/20 and museum notoriety, traditional art continued its course—although the road Gift of Francis T. B. Martin, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, JAM 1995.37 was less travelled and generally unnoticed by the public. M. Ackerman who spent twenty years entire gamut of the nineteenth century’s Today, a number of fine art scholars researching the life and works of Jean- torrent of tremendous creativity. He are re-examining art history and, like Léon Gérôme, an extraordinary feat that considers this neglect to have been archaeologists, are uncovering layers resulted in the quintessential Catalogue detrimental to art history, succeeding of truth buried by decades of corrosive Raissoné on Gérôme. Dr. Ackerman only in hindering and damaging the misinformation. One maverick believes that art history has done the natural flow of artistic progression. contemporary historian is Dr. Gerald world a disservice by having ignored the Dr. Ackerman asserts, “We have been california art club www.californiaartclub.org summer 2010 YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY 2 drawing master at the college, Claude- Basile Cariage (1798–1875) was a product of the strict academic tradition, and thus, did not permit his students to work with oil until they had perfected their draughtsmanship. n 1840 at the age of sixteen, Jean-Léon Gérôme received his IBachelor of Letters from the Collége, and with a letter of introduction written to the painter Paul Delaroche (1797– 1856), he started out for Paris. Delaroche, with his combined style of academic Neo-Classicism and Romanticism, was at the height of his popularity. Gérôme was an eager student who was dedicated to the teachings of his master. Referring to his staunch training in Classical Greek art, Gérôme remarked that, “(Monsieur Delaroche) prescribed the study of Pollice Verso (Thumbs Down), 1872 Phidias, always Phidias, nothing but Oil on canvas 38 3/80357 3/40 Phidias.” Museum Purchase. Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona, 1968.52 After three years studying in the Photograph by Craig Smith atelier of Delaroche, Gérôme followed his master to Rome where he spent one trained to look upon the nineteenth year improving his skills. It was during century as a period of struggle for this trip that Gérôme became inspired artists. We are taught to think of it by Roman antiquities, subjects that were in dramatic terms as a time when an later to become prevalent in his work. avant-garde of “true artists” struggled He was particularly excited when he first for recognition, but were held back saw the Pompeian gladiator’s armour by the active and officially supported at the Naples Museum, commenting, aggression of “phony artists” favoured “Think of it, all the painters, all the by the establishment. As a result, the sculptors who came here, saw this, popular history of nineteenth century and they didn’t dream of recreating art is that of the French avant-garde. The a gladiator!” The gladiator became a history of nineteenth century painting favourite subject of Gérôme’s. developed upon this myth is defective; 1845 it makes artistic development in France In early , due to a lack of funds, chaotic, artistic development in other Gérôme returned to Paris hoping to win countries incomprehensible, and it will the coveted Prix de Rome competition not even support an accompanying which would grant him five years history of nineteenth century sculpture residence in Rome as an art student. In and architecture. Successful artists of Paris he entered the atelier of the highly traditional schools are described as if respected Charles Gleyre (1806–1874) they were insincere opportunists with no who had taken over the atelier of aesthetic purpose.” Self Portrait, 1886 Delaroche. Gleyre was recognized for his Many fine nineteenth century Oil on canvas 12 4/50310 1/40 classical genre scenes as well as for his artists have been unfairly judged by art Collection of the Aberdeen Art Gallery & Orientalist subject matter. There, Gérôme historians, not because of a lack of talent, Museums studied for a brief three months where but because they were perceived to be he developed an interest in Orientalism on the wrong side of the cutting edge of and colour technique. (Note: The term Modernism. One such artist is Jean-Léon Vesoul (now bearing the artist’s name “Orientalism” is generally used to Gérôme. as the Lycée Gérôme) where he did Born on the 11th of May, 1824 in well in the school’s strict curriculum, describe the works of nineteenth century the town of Vesoul, approximately 200 which included studies in Latin, Greek, artists who depicted the cultures of miles southeast of Paris. Jean-Léon was geometry, chemistry, physics and art. North Africa and Western Asia, based the first child of Pierre and Claude After taking five years of drawing classes, on their travels.) Gérôme never did win Francoise Melanie Gérôme. As a which he began at the age of nine, the Prix de Rome; nevertheless, a great youth Gérôme attended the Collège de Gérôme advanced into oil painting. The destiny laid before him. california art club www.californiaartclub.org summer 2010 YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY 3 CALIFORNIA ART CLUB NEWSLETTER Summer 2010 Contents Cover Jean-Léon Gérôme: Recalling the Pinnacle of Fine Art by Elaine Adams 6 Club Unveils 99th Annual The Death of Caesar, 1859-1867 Gold Medal Juried Exhibition Oil on canvas 33 11/160357 5/160 by Beverly Chang Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, 37.884 8 Advancing Your Art Career Getting Good Press – The érôme’s impressive stature my ancestors, for I have always had First of a Series and confident presence often a nomadic disposition...” confessed by Molly Siple Gpositioned him as a leader among Gérôme. He made frequent and his peers. During the 1848 Revolution extensive trips into the Near East, often 10 Membership Programs and in France, he became a member of the leading safaris through the Egyptian Events National Guard and was appointed deserts. These subjects became the focus 12 Collectors’ Circle Corner Captain of the Staff at the École des of many of his paintings. At the Salon Beaux-Arts. His political sympathies exhibition of 1857, the response for 13 Corporate 100 were with the Republican Government. Gérôme’s paintings of the Near East At this time Gérôme lived in a building started his career as an Orientalist or a 14 Call for Entries near the Luxembourg Gardens which Peintre Ethnographique. Although by this had been subdivided into ateliers. The point he basically abandoned his earlier 14 Chapter News and Events painters who resided at this compound interests in Neo-grecism, he continued 16 News Briefs were referred to as “l’école de Gérôme.” It the attention to detail so prevalent in is believed that it was here that Gérôme that style and added a new dedication to 18 Donations and a group of young artists exchanged an academic and objective Realism. ideas and philosophies which resulted in During the late 1870s, perhaps due 19 Museum/Gallery Exhibitions the development of Neo-grecism. to his solid financial security or due and Lectures The ancient sites of Pompeii and to his failing eyesight, Gérôme began 29 Membership News Herculaneum were frequently in the seriously sculpting in marble. According news, as they continued to be further to research material provided by the 30 New Members excavated. Artists whose works were Dahesh Museum, “This was also inspired by these historic discoveries the decade in which the discovery of 31 In Memoriam were at times called the Pompeistes. numerous small painted figurines at the These archaeological discoveries not ancient Greek city of Tanagra profoundly Advertisers only became subjects of interest to these affected the art world. Gérôme’s interest artists, they served as an inspiration in Classicism and colour converged in 29 American Legacy Fine Arts to their Neo-grec movement. Gérôme the field of polychromy, or painted 29 Gallup & Cosby eventually worked his way out of this sculpture. Even more significantly, the style while the others remained fairly genre subject matter of many of these faithful. Popular Realism (painting small figures confirmed the authenticity contemporary scenes), combined with of Gérôme’s own Classical work. The his interest in archaeology slowly moved Tanagras, as they were called, represented Gérôme into developing his own style. for many the missing link between In 1857 Gérôme travelled to Egypt Classical and contemporary society.” for the first time, “...the Orient was the In the nineteenth century, the artist’s most frequent of my dreams.