Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824 - 1904)
Related: Orientalism - academic art - eroticism in art - French art
Conventional wisdom holds that genius is underappreciated in its own time; one might compare Vincent Van Gogh, who struggled for regognition during his life but is now a household word, with his contemporary Jean-Léon Gérôme, whose paintings and reproductions enjoyed immense popularity, but has since faded into relative obscurity. [Mar 2006]
Allumeuse de Narghilé - Jean-Léon Gérome (1824 - 1904)
Biography
Jean-Léon Gérôme (May 11, 1824 - 1904) was a French painter and sculptor who produced many works in a historical, Orientalist style. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Leon_Gerome [Jun 2005]
Pollice Verso (1872)
Pollice Verso (1872) - Jean-Léon Gérôme
photo sourced here.
Gladiator (2000 movie)
Ridley Scott was persuaded to direct the 2000 film Gladiator when he was presented with a reproduction of the 1872 painting Pollice Verso ("Thumbs Down") by Jean-Leon Gerome, in which a gladiator stands over the opponent he has beaten. [On visiting the real Colosseum, Scott remarked to the production designer that it was "too small", so they designed an outsized "Rome of the imagination" that was inspired by English and French romantic painters, as well as Nazi architect Albert Speer.] [Aug 2006]
Pygmalion and Galatea ()
Pygmalion and Galatea () - Jean-Léon Gérôme
Pygmalion is a character from the Roman poet Ovid in the tenth book of his Metamorphoses.
It tells a story of a sculptor who falls in love with a statue he has made. Pygmalion, son of Belus, was a lonely sculptor who carved a woman out of ivory. He prayed to Venus, the goddess of beauty and love, who took pity on him and brought the statue to life. Paphos was the product of the union between Pygmalion and the ivory statue.
Later authors give the name of the statue as Galatea or Elise (Goethe), based upon the variants in the story of Dido/Elissa. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion_%28mythology%29 [Jun 2005]
The Serpent Charmer (ca. 1870)
The Serpent Charmer (ca. 1870) - Jean-Léon Gérôme
Commercialism in art
Critics may accuse an artist of excess commercialism (colloquially, selling out) if they believe that he has compromised the quality of his work for monetary gain. An independent band that signs a contract with a major record label; a novelist recruited by a major publishing effort; a comic artist who begins merchandising his work may all be accused (depending on the circumstances) of selling out. (For a more detailed discussion of commercialism in contemporary music, see Selling out.)
Conventional wisdom holds that genius is underappreciated in its own time; one might compare Vincent Van Gogh, who struggled for regognition during his life but is now a household word, with his contemporary Jean-Léon Gérôme, whose paintings and reproductions enjoyed immense popularity, but has since faded into relative obscurity. Gérôme has been variously accused of pandering to Orientalist fantasies and essentially peddling highbrow pornography (in essence, painting commercially motivated material instead of "high art"); no one would accuse Van Gogh of pandering to his audience.
Modern examples are aplenty: one might compare Jim Davis, who built a commercial empire around merchandising his comic strip Garfield; the cartoon cat's image appears on everything from Post-it notes to plush dolls, to Bill Watterson, who steadfastly refused to permit any products (save for books of his strips) to be marketed with the characters from Calvin and Hobbes. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercialism [Jun 2005]
Phryné before the Areopagus (1861)
Phryné before the Areopagus (1861) - Jean-Léon Gérôme
image sourced here.
Phryne was a famous courtesan of ancient Greece who adjusted her prices for customers depending upon how she felt about them. When the King of Lydia wanted her favors she named a truly absurd price because she considered him loathsome; he paid the price and then levied a tax on his subjects to raise the sum. On the other hand, she gave herself to the philosopher Diogenes for free because she admired his mind.
Famously, when she appeared in court she avoided conviction by lowering her robe and revealing her flawless breasts. The judges relented and let her off - not because they were overcome by her body per se, but because physical beauty was often seen as a facet of divinity or a mark of divine favour.
Praxiteles was commissioned to make a statue of her. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phryne [Jun 2005]
Quaerens Quem Devoret (1888)
Quaerens Quem Devoret (1888) - Jean-Léon Gérôme
image sourced here.
A Moorish Bath - Turkish Woman Bathing, No.2
A Moorish Bath - Turkish Woman Bathing, No.2
image sourced here.
Slave Markets
Slave Auction in Rome () - Jean-Léon Gérôme
Hermitage, St Petersburg
image sourced here.
Slave Market (1866) - Jean-Léon Gérôme
Achat D'Une Esclave / Purchase Of A Slave (1857) - Jean-Léon Gérôme