François Pascal Simon Gérard (, 4 May 1770 – 11 January 1837), titled as Baron Gérard in 1809, was a prominent French painter. He was born in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, where his father occupied a post in the house of the French ambassador, and his mother was Italian. After he was made a

baron of the Empire As Emperor of the French, Napoleon I created titles of nobility to institute a stable elite in the First French Empire, after the instability resulting from the French Revolution. Like many others, both before and since, Napoleon found that th ...

in 1809 by Emperor

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, he was known formally as Baron Gérard.

Life and career

François Gérard was born in Rome to J. S. Gérard and Cleria Matteï. Henri Gérard 1888 At the age of twelve, Gérard obtained admission into the ''Pension du Roi'' in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. From the ''Pension'', he passed to the studio of the sculptor

Augustin Pajou Augustin Pajou (19 September 1730 – 8 May 1809) was a French sculptor, born in Paris. At eighteen he won the Prix de Rome, and at thirty exhibited his ''Pluton tenant Cerbère enchaîné'' (now in the Louvre). Selected works Pajou's portrait ...

, which he left at the end of two years for the studio of the history painter

Nicolas-Guy Brenet Nicolas-Guy Brenet (1 July 1728 — 21 February 1792) was a French History painting, history painter. Brenet was born and died in Paris. He studied in the atelier of François Boucher, but abandoned his master's rococo manner in the 1760s, to p ...

,Nicolas-Guy Brenet (1728–1792), professor at the

Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture (; en, "Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture") was founded in 1648 in Paris, France. It was the premier art institution of France during the latter part of the Ancien Régime until it was abol ...

, 1778. Michael Bryan, ''Dictionary of Painters and Engravers'', ''s.v.'' "Brenet, Nicolas Guy". Brenet was also the master of

Jean Germain Drouais Jean Germain Drouais (; 25 November 1763 – 13 February 1788), French historical painter, was born in Paris. His father, François-Hubert Drouais, and his grandfather, Hubert Drouais, were well-known portrait painters; it was from his father th ...

. whom he quit almost immediately to place himself under

Jacques-Louis David Jacques-Louis David (; 30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s, his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in ...

. In 1789, he competed for the Prix de Rome, which was carried off by his comrade Girodet. In the following year (1790), he again presented himself, but the death of his father prevented the completion of his work and obliged him to accompany his mother to Rome. In 1791, he returned to Paris, but his poverty was so great that he was forced to forgo his studies in favor of employment which would bring in immediate profit. David at once availed himself of his help, and one of that master's most celebrated portraits, of Louis-Michel Le Pelletier de Saint-Fargeau, may owe much to the hand of Gérard. This painting was executed early in 1793, the year in which Gérard, at the request of David, was named a member of the revolutionary tribunal, from the fatal decisions of which he, however, invariably absented himself. Grave of Francois Gerard

In 1794, he obtained the first prize in a competition, the subject of which was ''The Tenth of August'', that is, the storming of the Tuileries Palace. Further stimulated by the successes of his rival and friend Girodet in the Salons of 1793 and 1794, Gérard (aided by Jean-Baptiste Isabey, the miniaturist) produced in 1795 his famous ''Bélisaire''. In 1796, a portrait of his generous friend (conserved today in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

) obtained undisputed success, and the money received from Isabey for these two works enabled Gérard to execute in 1797 his ''Psyche et l'Amour'' (''illustration''). At last, in 1799, his portrait of Madame Mère established his position as one of the foremost portrait-painters of the day. In 1808, as many as eight (and in 1810, no less than fourteen) portraits by him were exhibited at the Salon, and these figures afford only an indication of the enormous numbers which he executed yearly. All of the leading figures of the Empire and of the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * ...

, and all of the most celebrated men and women of Europe, sat for Gérard. This extraordinary vogue was due partly to the charm of his manner and conversation, for his ''salon'' was as much frequented as his studio.

Madame de Staël Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ...

George Canning George Canning (11 April 17708 August 1827) was a British Tory statesman. He held various senior cabinet positions under numerous prime ministers, including two important terms as Foreign Secretary, finally becoming Prime Minister of the Unit ...

, Talleyrand and the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...

have all borne witness to the attraction of his society. Rich and famous, Gérard was stung by remorse for earlier ambitions abandoned; at intervals, he had indeed striven with Girodet and other rivals to prove his strength at

history painting History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...

, still a more prestigious genre than portraiture. His ''Bataille d'Austerlitz'' (1810) showed a breadth of invention and style which was even more conspicuous in ''L'Entrée d'Henri IV à Paris'' (at Versailles), the work with which in 1817 he paid homage to the returned

Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. He spent twenty-three years in ...

. After this date, Gérard declined, watching with impotent grief the progress of the

Romantic school Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

. Loaded with honors – baron of the Empire in 1809, member of the ''Institut'' on 7 March 1812, officer of the ''

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

'', first painter to the king – he worked on, sad and discouraged. The revolution of 1830 added to his disquiet, and on 11 January 1837, after three days of fever, he died. Gérard is best remembered for his portraits. The color of his paintings has suffered, but his drawings show in uninjured delicacy the purity of his line, and those of women are specially remarkable for a virginal simplicity and frankness of expression. His students included Heinrich Christoph Kolbe.

Selected works

File:Bonaparte premier Consul Gérard Chantilly.jpg,

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

as First Consul, 1803 File:Joachim Murat (1767-1815) (A).jpg, Portrait of Joachim Murat, king of Naples and of the Two Sicilies, 1811–1812, private collection, Paris File:Murat (Gerard).jpg,

Portrait of Joachim Murat ''Portrait of Joachim Murat'' is an oil-on-canvas painting created in 1808 by the French painter François Gérard. It depicts general Joachim Murat. It is held in Room 54 of the National Museum of Capodimonte, in Naples. It shows Murat in the p ...

File:François Gérard - Napoleon I 001.JPG, Portrait of Emperor Napoleon I File:François Pascal Simon Gérard 003.jpg, Portrait of

Madame Récamier Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ...

File:Emprjose.jpg, Portrait of Empress Joséphine File:Desiree Clary.png, Portrait of Désirée Clary File:François Gérard - Portrait of Catherine Worlée, Princesse de Talleyrand-Périgord - WGA08599.jpg, Portrait of

Catherine Grand Catherine Noël Grand (née Worlée; 21 November 1762– 10 December 1834) was the daughter of a French colonial officer in Tranquebar, Danish India, who became the mistress and later the wife of French diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand ...

, Princesse de Bénévent File:François Pascal Simon Gérard 002.jpg, Portrait of

Hortense de Beauharnais Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte (; , ; 10 April 1783 – 5 October 1837) was Queen consort of Holland. She was the stepdaughter of Emperor Napoléon I as the daughter of his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais. Hortense later married Napol� ...

File:Hortense de beauharnais.jpg, Portrait of Hortense de Beauharnais File:Gerard FrancoisPascalSimon-Cupid Psyche end.jpg, Cupid and Psyche File:La bataille d'Austerlitz. 2 decembre 1805 (François Gérard).jpg, Napoleon at the

Battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in ...

File:François Gérard - St Theresa (detail).jpg, Teresa of Ávila File:Corinne au Cap Misène - Francois Gérard.jpg, '' Corinne at Cape Misenum'', 1819–1821, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon File:François Gérard Daphnis and Chloe.JPG, Daphnis and Chloe, c. 1824, oil on canvas,

The Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it covers with a major renovation and expansion project complete ...

File:Mme. de Staël as her character Corrine (posthumously).png, Mme de Staël as her character Corrine (posthumously)

Footnotes

References

Sources

* * A biography by Charles Lenormant. * A biography by Adolphe Viollet-le-Duc followed by François Gérard's correspondence collected by his nephew Henri Gérard. * A different biography by his nephew Henri Gérard, 14 etched portraits, additional letters and notes.

Notes

External links

* , the painting of 'Mme de Staël as her character Corrine' engraved by

Joseph Goodyear Joseph Goodyear (1799–1839) was an English engraver. Biography Joseph Goodyear was born in Birmingham in 1799 and was first apprenticed to an engraver on plate, named Tye. He also studied drawing under G. V. Burkes at Birmingham. He came to Lo ...

for The Amulet annual, 1832. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gerard, Francois 18th-century French painters French male painters 19th-century French painters 1770 births 1837 deaths Pupils of Jacques-Louis David Members of the Académie des beaux-arts Burials at Montparnasse Cemetery Artists from Paris French people of Italian descent Barons of the First French Empire Officiers of the Légion d'honneur 18th-century French male artists