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Jean Leon Gerome

French, 1824 - 1904

BiographyArt of the Print: ean-Leon Gerome (Haute-Saone, 1824 - Paris, 1904): One of France's most famous painters of the late nineteenth century, Jean-Leon Gerome came to Paris in 1841 and studied in the studio of Paul Delaroche and later under Charles Gleyre. His first major painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1847.
Jean-Leon Gerome first established himself as a leading neo-classicist painter. In 1855, however, he traveled to Turkey to make studies for a large, official commission. He became fascinated with the life and culture of the East and made many more subsequent journeys to Egypt (1857 to 1880), Turkey, Algiers and elsewhere. His paintings of these areas were shown extensively in France, Italy and Germany and gained for him membership into the Imperial Institute (1865), Knighthood in the Legion of Honour (1867), honourary membership to the British Royal Academy (1869) and the award of the Red Eagle, from the King of Prussia.
Jean-Leon Gerome was at the centre of the movement now known as 'Orientalism'. Briefly, Orientalist artists dedicated their work to the more exotic elements of Eastern culture and life. Before the era of Impressionism it was a most influential force throughout Europe and its presentation of rich colouration and exotic subjects affected even some abstract artists of the twentieth century.

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