Antoine-Jean Gros
Antoine-Jean Gros entered the world on the 16th of March 1771 in Paris. His father Jean-Antoine Gros worked as a miniature painter while his mother Pierrette-Madeleine-Cécile Durand also practiced painting. The young boy began learning to draw at age six under the watchful eye of his own father. By the close of 1785 he made a choice to enter the studio of Jacques-Louis David in Paris. He attended classes at the Collège Mazarin simultaneously while studying assiduously with his new master. The death of his father in 1791 left Gros without financial support from his family. This event forced him to rely entirely upon his own artistic resources for survival.
Gros traveled to Genoa after leaving France during the height of the Revolution. He supported himself there by creating portraits for local patrons. A visit to Florence preceded his return to Genoa where he met Joséphine de Beauharnais. She later moved to Milan and brought her husband Napoleon Bonaparte into contact with the artist. Napoleon received Gros well within his circle of associates. The artist painted a scene titled Bonaparte at the Pont d'Arcole depicting events from 1796. This specific work brought Gros to public attention across France. Napoleon subsequently granted him the post of inspecteur aux revues which allowed him to follow the army on campaign. In 1797 Gros was charged with selecting spoils for display at the Louvre museum.
Napoleon commissioned Gros to paint Bonaparte Visiting the Plague Victims of Jaffa for exhibition at the Salon of 1804. The painting measures 715 centimeters by 523 centimeters and now hangs in the Louvre. It depicts Bonaparte reaching out to touch one of the sick soldiers infected with bubonic plague. P. Jill Morse notes that Napoleon ordered this commission specifically to neutralize British propaganda. British narratives had focused on two episodes during the Egyptian campaign between 1798 and 1800. One story claimed he ordered the massacre of Turkish prisoners while another alleged he poisoned French soldiers suffering from the disease. The painting showed a compassionate leader visiting the sick at the pesthouse hospital. Later historical accounts confirm that Napoleon did order the poisoning of about fifty plague-infected men using laudanum when his army prepared to withdraw from Syria.
Gros debuted his painting Bonaparte Visiting the Plague Victims of Jaffa at the Salon of 1804. This work launched his career as a successful painter within France. His earlier style reflected the precision expected of Neoclassical training under David. By 1806 he completed Bataille d'Aboukir which now resides at Versailles. The year 1808 brought him Napoléon sur le champ de bataille d'Eylau measuring 104.9 centimeters by 145.1 centimeters. This large canvas now hangs in the Louvre museum. The emotional intensity visible in these later works influenced the emerging movement known as Romanticism. Eugène Delacroix would later cite Gros as an inspiration particularly regarding his lithography techniques. However tensions existed between the two artists when Gros criticized Delacroix's Chios and Missolonghi as a massacre of art.
In 1810 Napoleon had deserted Gros according to records showing Madrid and Napoleon at the Pyramids. Francis I and Charles V painted in 1812 achieved considerable success despite this shift in patronage. The artist struggled professionally after 1810 as tastes changed among French patrons. He committed suicide by drowning following the failure of Hercules and Diomedes at the Salon of 1835. This final work measured 426 centimeters by 324 centimeters and is now housed in the Musée des Augustins. Out of sympathy with the rising tide of Romanticism he could not reconcile his own artistic vision with new expectations. Gros received the title of Baron in 1824 from King Charles X of France before his death on the 25th of June 1835.
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Common questions
When was Antoine-Jean Gros born and where did he enter the world?
Antoine-Jean Gros entered the world on the 16th of March 1771 in Paris. His father Jean-Antoine Gros worked as a miniature painter while his mother Pierrette-Madeleine-Cécile Durand also practiced painting.
Who taught Antoine-Jean Gros to draw and when did he join Jacques-Louis David's studio?
The young boy began learning to draw at age six under the watchful eye of his own father. By the close of 1785 he made a choice to enter the studio of Jacques-Louis David in Paris.
How did Napoleon Bonaparte first meet Antoine-Jean Gros and what commission followed their meeting?
Joséphine de Beauharnais brought her husband Napoleon Bonaparte into contact with the artist after meeting him in Florence. Napoleon subsequently granted him the post of inspecteur aux revues which allowed him to follow the army on campaign.
What specific historical event does the painting Bonaparte Visiting the Plague Victims of Jaffa by Antoine-Jean Gros depict?
The painting depicts Bonaparte reaching out to touch one of the sick soldiers infected with bubonic plague during the Egyptian campaign between 1798 and 1800. Historical accounts confirm that Napoleon did order the poisoning of about fifty plague-infected men using laudanum when his army prepared to withdraw from Syria.
Why did Antoine-Jean Gros commit suicide and when did he die?
Gros committed suicide by drowning following the failure of Hercules and Diomedes at the Salon of 1835. He died on the 25th of June 1835 after struggling professionally as tastes changed among French patrons.