He built his career from scratch three times, but today is known for his paintings of fashionable women. There is more to his art than that.
Gérôme
With his Salon style and fascination in mediaeval history, did he make history painting history?
Le Chevalier aux Fleurs (Musée d’Orsay) is not just frivolous chivalry and a bevy of Playboy bunnies. There is much more than that.
Balanced explorations of the play of light inside rooms, and the glorious colours of the intense Norwegian summer.
His history paintings make it look as if he was actually present at the time. Just how accurate were they?
Unique paintings of the ancient history of France, in response to dreadful defeat in the Franco-Prussian War.
A fuller account of one of the arch-enemies of the Impressionists. Was he so bad after all?
Taking stock on which narratives should be used, and what techniques should be used to represent them in paintings.
A lesson from Aristotle on how to craft powerful narrative in paintings.
Despite his reputation, his narratives often addressed serious and subtle issues, and his was a master of narrative painting.
The Eclectic Light Company 