, 1877-01-13


Jean Leon Grromc, one Of the most celcb!at-
cd painters in the prescn, school Ut Frcncl, art,
was born At reroul, May II, 1874. Ills fatlicr
was a tcwe!cr III comfortable circumstances, anl
tic hoy nlndu guUd use Of the advantages IT.
tor1lcl him ltr education, It IL faM that
among thu casy rcwaris for tlligcnt study prr-
scntel hin, by the elicr (;cron.r was box OF
paInts, and this tr,ftnE gift provrd thc turning
poiut ut bis destiny. The drawings which he
WAS stimulated to execute by having the colors
At lis command exhibited such striking merit
that the youth WAS struugly urgc.l IL make
painting lin llfc-work. Thus encouraged. he
went 10 Paris when hut II, and brvan,c pupil
Of Paul DclartAac. II Il relutcta by Lucy II.
Hooper, In the .Ari-Jo"r'n,l, that GcronIe WIS
pruydcd with The Aun, of t.:1,U1 francs tn lie.
fray The expenses of his ils*t year III the tsccl,
Capitalism s1nount ample enough to supply
all reasonable needs nf youu: art-.tulcut vt
that epoch.
Through his nssIduity md lucilisy, Geroinc
hccomc favorta pupil OF Delaroche, and
when, Mt the end o! three ycars' faithful labor,
the tnnstcr closed hts stuto aad went to Rome,
lcrou,c was permitted to accompany him. Fur
a ycnE thereafter the young painter pursued Ills
studies with interchangeable pers!atcncc tu the
Eternal Cty. An ancctloic Illustrating the
rigid discipline by which lie c.rr snught to keep
Ids powcrs under control IL thus told BY Mrs.
Hooper: "It il on record here that, having
painted view Of the Canlpagna ln few h0ur.
VI rn}A and enthusiastic work, lie replied 10
tue culogies Of his comrades hy taking up his
palctte-kufe n,l ctfaring every lite of the plct.
urr. That which is 5" quickly dotir IA sure 10
le III douc:' WAS Ills comment on his own per.
lurfnancr."
On returning to Paris. Gcrome worked for =
x1If,r1 In sf1hftt fIf fS1rrts nnl ffrnr
kunicl practice with bis beloved master, uela-
rtntsr. Ills attempt al this t!r to win the Prix
de lo,ne wns IL failure: hut, untllsrautaSe.t. he
immediately hrgau the composition u. 4 picture
dsarponstnrnts. Tho j,ainting renresentcd 4
young Greek sitting ctcks to fight, xI.ilc hts be-
truttlcl stands near by watching tic acene The
figures were both ntllr ond lfe-size; and tho
sithIcct," says Sarah Tytler, In hrr "Mo1esn
Fanterb," "wAs, thus raSly In hlk history, thur
artrTibttr Of GrrOtl.r, wl,o las shuWu decided
prcfcrenee fur inedvnta either In themselves
horrible Or ,i,nIallr rtpulslse:"
Of 1sI7, and excited murh attention. Thcuphlle
tiautier prctaccu hIs critlriru, up!n IL III La
I'rt.se witt! the following Theatrical sentcncea:
unto us = I.l!nscr Is horn. liz !, called
.iay, snl Tomorrow 1t vii be cclruIatei"
The painting uow hangs iu The Luxembourg,
and + sal! "to d!snay certain mastery quail:
s latcr wurks." CHROME WIS but :ss wl,su ILLS
painting was executed. Rat. tr.,M tts Krt,eE..is
promise, a brilliant iuture for the young artist
might safely BE- predis,cd, A thlr.l-cIass 1neial
was awarded lin BY the Judges of the Exhb-
tton. aud the public hailed hu as . rising
genius. ....
I'urtug tle next eight years t;cromc piled hi.
busy ctieil, yet noan vi Its productions repeated
t!le surcess ol tie hrst which found \ pl Aee IN
the Salon Of 1877. 4 journey insu Turkey IN
lsxl aud longer tour through Egyr. ln lSri
nrt, snd. oil his return, he proved ls,r yrana'y
he eoilld use them. His rttlIrc naned The
Age IT Augustus and tho lilrth Of Christi" r1.
hio!te.! IN lS,1, wa. bought b. tho F1ruth Guy.
Crots VI ihv f.rglon Vi llon"r. Paintings sun
more famnus have s!hce tullir froHi his easel,
smo1,g whseh, perhaps, the best known Is ths
fuel After the Masalcfattc." other notcl
hDeath Of Cpsar," - Cleopatra Before t'es4r,"
"Jtrusaleln," and THE Execution uf Scy."
DRAMATIC in,wsr md sklIl tn drawing arc the
chlef excc!lenetes observed IN tisF'mc's works.
er, +" hu IL nu less Hotta fur hlA skill In GROUP
tnG, aud for Ills remarkable talent In EepEs'duc-
Ing stlsent natlpual characteristics, whether Of
pe1sonayss or o. seraets, ~ esv,Hped N n!s
t0o.oftentssreIartirtl quality he oxca ,nuch Of
hts widespread popularity he u possessed VI =
stngulasly-foreible power Of coHcsivng aud
Incident. Thus tbs general public arc as much
attracted by the story told BY bis pictures a tho
Art-yrtic b. The uaTvclous perfection ut thrlr
execution, >. Ills defects arc I certain
dryncss and hardness ot hnish aud I metallic
toIlc in colorinx which sometimes Ia disagrce-
ably prominent In bis tcsh-tsnts, -. A.
atsachcr, he il well-nlgh lncompATable,-thc ~
curaey u bis drawing rendering hin tho kcenest-
eyed aud moot pitiless Of masters III detecting
the faults OF othcrs.n
"The personal appearance Of Gerome,' con-
tinues ths salue writer, 'is sefy peculiar. His
head, with IT, deep-scs, Large ayes. wild na4sea
Of gssy hair, md pointed gray mustachc, Il
ea!nently picturesque. lle IL u thin - :
shallow, and l. distinguished for extreme inlus-
Try, excessive ls1lablliss, and great dislike to
vlaltors,--th@ Last two qualities being probably
descrfheS Gefotpa nlea ant In aa;lner iholi9h