Roman Senator

11. Mai 1824

Born

1840–1841

His father gives him a year to succeed: off to Paris

A successful copy of a painting by Decamps caught the eye of Paul Delaroche, who spoke highly of the young man’s talent; this helped persuade his father to let him go to Paris (sources give 1840 or 1841) with a letter of recommendation from Cariage. His father, who kept repeating that artists, unlike jewellers, are poor, gave him a year to make good and later, after visiting him, approved of his studies and began sending him 1,000 francs a year.

1843–1844

A year in Italy with Delaroche

In 1843 Delaroche took his pupil with him on a year-long trip to Italy — Rome, Florence, the Vatican, Pompeii. In Naples Gérôme was gripped by gladiators’ armour found at Pompeii, which, in his words, “opened an enormous horizon” for him; in his autobiography he later called that year one of the best of his life.

1847

The 1847 Salon: “The Cockfight” and Gautier’s review

Having finished his first large painting at the end of 1846, Gérôme confessed to Delaroche that it seemed to him “weak and flat”; his teacher advised sending it to the Salon all the same. The canvas was hung high up, yet critics noticed it, Théophile Gautier among them, and “The Cockfight” won a third-class medal: 1847 proved decisive for his career.

1855

The 1855 fair: “The Age of Augustus” and “Recreation in a Russian Camp”

Critics met the huge canvas “The Age of Augustus” (6.2 × 10.15 m) without enthusiasm: they were angered by the belittling of the Nativity and the exaltation of the emperor, and only Gautier left a wholly positive review. The most attention went to the modest “Recreation in a Russian Camp”, painted in a realist spirit; Gérôme was made a knight of the Legion of Honour.

13 November 1863

Professor at the École des Beaux-Arts

An imperial decree of 13 November 1863 stripped the Academy of the right to run the École des Beaux-Arts: three new studios and three professorships were created, one of which went to Gérôme. Starting with sixteen students, he went on in 1864–1904 to give more than two thousand students at least part of their art education.