A French artist who had his hand in paintings of nude beauties, whose work was first praised and then condemned

Jean Léon Gérôme (1824-1904) was a French artist, who was justifiably considered the “academician of academism” - he achieved significant success in this artistic direction, his paintings, however much they were later criticized by avant-garde artists, always found their admirers. Jerome was famous and in demand, his paintings were characterized by impeccable drawing, muted tones and good elaboration of the subject.

Diogenes

Jerome seriously studied antiquity, was in Egypt and Palestine, so his paintings are very authentic, although often written on the subjects of various legends and myths. However, the artist's attention to detail was thorough, if it is a fantasy on a free theme, it is very convincing. The details of clothing, vegetation and architecture - behind all this was a lot of hard work, study of historical materials and familiarity with the area.

Sphinx

A distinctive feature of Jerome's paintings was a somewhat detached attitude to what is happening, the heroes of his paintings are often beautiful, but cold, which gave reason to call them critics, of which there were many, “soulless dolls. However, such were the features of academism and salon art of those years, the picture should please the eye, but not awaken sensuality and emotion. It is no coincidence that lively and emotional works of French Impressionists and realist Gustave Courbet later so desperately criticized and called “blatantly indecent”. We will talk about the “academician” Jean Gerome in this article.

Turkish bath or Moorish bath

Jean was born into a family of jeweler and goldsmiths, showed a good aptitude for painting, which forced his father to give in to his son's entreaties and at the age of 17 to allow him to go to Paris to study to be an artist. However, according to his father, “artists, unlike jewelers, languish miserable existence,” because Jean was given only one year to succeed, otherwise had to return home.

A call to prayer

However, Jerome's talent was immediately visible, his teachers praised him, so his father gave his son annually on 1 thousand francs to study and do not need anything. His teacher Delaroche allowed young Jerome to go to Rome and what he saw so impressed the young artist that he remained a lifelong convinced adherent of classical art and academicism.

Two Majesties

Subsequently, Jerome studied at the famous artist Charles Gleyre, who taught in his time Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Whistler, but they did not agree in their views on art, because after 3 months Jerome left. However, his creativity training at Gleyre benefited, instead of classical subjects, he began to write genre scenes from ancient life, and artists working in this style, began to be called “neogrekami”.

Pygmalion and Galatea

So Jerome was not a zealous traditionalist, alien to everything new, just he could not forgive his criticism of the Impressionists and adherence to academicism, and after the death of the artist about him preferred to forget or remembered only in a negative way. However, in the 1970s, finally remembered and about Jerome, his paintings are again exhibited in the best museums in the world and deservedly considered one of the classics of painting.

Slave Market

Jerome loved and knew how to paint nudes, but he did it under the “fig leaf” of academism, his paintings depict goddesses, naiads or ordinary girls, but they are infinitely far from modern Parisians and any other European ladies, because their nudity was perceived as something completely natural.

Slave girl for sale

However, Jerome willingly used such assumptions in morality and nude beauties in his paintings are quite a few. Such works were more willingly bought, as fans of racy scenes, but within the bounds of decency has always been a lot. But in the end it is simply beautiful and aesthetic, even if this beauty and coldly aloof.

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