A similar drawing, with some of the background architecture traced with a ruler, was presented by the Galerie Paul Prouté in 1987.
#Julius cesar and cleopatra full
In the initial sketch, a drawing at the Musée Georges Garret à Vesoul, Gérôme shows us Caesar in full length, rushing to lift Cleopatra who was still on the ground. To date, two oil studies (including our painting) are known, as well as three preparatory compositional drawings and two figure studies, one of Cleopatra’s head and the other, of her friend Apollodorus. Finally refused on delivery, the painting was then bought by the painter’s father-in-law, Adolphe Goupil. This painting was commissioned by the Marquise de Païva, one of the most famous courtesans of the time, for the luxurious house she had just built on the Champs-Elysées. Caesar was captivated by the daring, conversation and charm of the young queen. To reach Caesar unnoticed, Cleopatra crept into a package of carpets and asked her friend Apollodorus the Sicilian to carry her to him. The young eighteen year-old queen, driven from her palace by her brothers’ intrigues, had decided to convince Caesar to restore her to the throne. It depicts the romanticized version of the first encounter between Caesar and Cleopatra according to Plutarch’s tale. Our painting prepares the Caesar and Cleopatra painted by Gérôme in 1866. Thanks to the accuracy provided by his precise technique, they contribute a stamp of authenticity to the fantasy of the Orient. In addition his depictions of Oriental subjects are faithful to the Orientalist vision of his age, where sensuality and violence are combined. Gérôme’s many Orientalist paintings reveal his fascination for Arabic architecture.
_11.jpg "julius cesar and cleopatra")
The development of photography allowed him to create a study collection of views. Fascinated by the Orient, he journeyed to the Middle East in 1862, 1868, 1871, 18, visiting Constantinople and Asia Minor in 18. In 1847, Gérôme enjoyed great success at the Salon with his Neo-Grecian painting Young Greeks Attending a Cockfight, also called A Cockfight (Paris, Musée d’Orsay), which earned him a third class medal, heralding the many honours of his future career.įrom 1853 Gérôme travelled frequently and in 1856 he discovered Egypt. He completed his training with a trip to Italy before attending the studio of Charles Gleyre, a major figure of academic art. Considered for a long time to be a reactionary, his reputation was restored by the pioneer work of Gerald Ackerman during the 1970s and 1980s.Īt the age of sixteen, Gérôme entered the studio of the painter Paul Delaroche then at the height of his fame, whose principles would have a lasting effect on the young artist. A Professor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Gérôme, was fiercely opposed to the Impressionists and became a symbol of academicism. Jean-Léon Gérôme is one of the most famous French painters of his time. The authenticity of our painting has been confirmed by Gerald Ackermann. Catalogue raisonné mis à jour, Paris, 2000, p.
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