1884
A year of losses: father, brother-in-law and father-in-law
In 1884 Gérôme’s father died and his mother moved to Paris; soon afterwards his brother-in-law Albert Goupil and Albert’s father Adolphe died too. Gérôme took the loss of Albert very hard: they were friends, he sold his works through him and took him along on his travels.
1884
Against the Manet memorial exhibition
As a professor Gérôme spoke out sharply against the Manet memorial exhibition at the École des Beaux-Arts, calling Manet an apostle of decadent fashion and of the “art of the fragment”, but he lacked the means to prevent it. After visiting it he remarked drily that it was not as bad as he had thought.
1891
His son Jean dies
In 1891 Gérôme’s son Jean, who had shown artistic inclinations, died of consumption at the age of twenty-seven; in his memory the artist made the statue “Grief” (La Douleur).
1894
Campaigns against the Caillebotte bequest
After the death of Gustave Caillebotte, who bequeathed sixty-five paintings from his Impressionist collection to the Luxembourg Museum, Gérôme raised a great din in the newspapers, declaring that young artists would now all start with Impressionism because the state wanted it; he also organised a public demonstration in his atelier. No one listened to him, and he found himself isolated.
10 January 1904
Found dead in his studio
On the morning of 10 January 1904 Gérôme was found dead in his studio, lying by a portrait of Rembrandt. As an officer of the Legion of Honour he was entitled to a state funeral, but in his will he specifically asked that there be none.
10 gennaio 1904
Died