Edouard Delessert

1861–1863

A year in Egypt, Syria and Palestine

Right after the duel Gérôme left France for a year-long journey through Egypt, Syria and Palestine, described in detail in his autobiography: for 17 days he crossed the Syrian desert and spent Easter in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. He returned to Paris in January 1863.

1863

Marries the daughter of the art dealer Goupil

In 1863 Gérôme married Marie Goupil (1842–1912), daughter of the international art dealer Adolphe Goupil; they had four daughters and a son. He moved to a house in rue de Bruxelles, close to the Folies Bergère, and enlarged it into a grand house with stables, a sculpture studio below and a painting studio on the top floor.

25 January 1863

An open letter to the emperor about the Salon rules

On 15 January 1863 new rules for admission to the Salon were announced: no more than three works per artist and a competitive selection. On 25 January a group of artists, Gérôme and Édouard Manet among them, addressed an open letter to the emperor against the new rules; it was in vain, but the scandal that followed led, among other things, to the opening of the “Salon des Refusés”.

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.

1864–1904

The studio everyone wanted to join

Places in Gérôme’s atelier were limited and keenly sought: only the best students were admitted. Students progressed from drawing after antique works and casts to drawing from the live model and only then were allowed to paint in oils; he attended every Wednesday and Saturday and was known as a severe critic, but helped his students outside the school too, inviting them to his own studio and recommending them to the Salon.

1865

Elected to the Institut de France at the fifth attempt

Gérôme was elected to the Institut de France on his fifth attempt; in these years his influence became extensive and he was a regular guest of Empress Eugénie at the court in Compiègne.