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

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, 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 in 1809 by Emperor

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, 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 city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. From the ''Pension'', he passed to the studio of the sculptor Augustin Pajou, which he left at the end of two years for the studio of the history painter Nicolas-Guy Brenet,Nicolas-Guy Brenet (1728–1792), professor at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, 1778. Michael Bryan, ''Dictionary of Painters and Engravers'', ''s.v.'' "Brenet, Nicolas Guy". Brenet was also the master of Jean Germain Drouais. 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. The following year (1790), he once more showed up, but the passing of his father prevented him from finishing his work and forced him to travel to Rome with his mother. He eventually made it back to Paris in 1791, but due to his extreme poverty, he was forced to abandon his studies in favor of a job that would pay him money right away. 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 on that date in 1792. 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 a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

) 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, 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 Germaine de Staël, George Canning, Charles de Talleyrand, and the Duke of Wellington 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, 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. Before his reign, he spent 23 y ...

. After this date, Gérard declined, watching with impotent grief the progress of the Romantic school. 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 ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

'', first painter to the king – he worked on, sad and discouraged. He painted several works to celebrate the Coronation of Charles X in 1825. 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:Baron François Pascal Simon Gérard - Marius Returning to Rome - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Marius Returning to Rome'', 1789 File:Antoine Jean Gros par Gerard.jpg, '' Antoine-Jean Gros'', 1791 File:Flore caressée par Zéphyr, Grenoble.jpg, '' Flora Caressed by Zephyr'', 1802 File:François Pascal Simon Gérard - Madame Mère (Maria Laetitia Ramolino Bonaparte, 1750 - 1836) - NG 2461 - National Galleries of Scotland.jpg, '' Portrait of Letizia Bonaparte'', 1803 File:Bonaparte premier Consul Gérard Chantilly.jpg,

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

as First Consul, 1803 File:François Gérard (1770-1837) - Mary Nisbet (1777–1855), Countess of Elgin - NG 1496 - National Galleries of Scotland.jpg, '' Portrait of Mary Nisbet'', 1803 File:Madame Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Périgord (1761–1835) MET DP-417-001FXD.jpg, '' Catherine Grand'', 1804 File:Marechal Ney.jpg, Marshal Michel Ney, 1805 File:Murat (Gerard).jpg, '' Portrait of Joachim Murat'', 1808 File:Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord by François Gérard, 1808.jpg, '' Portrait of Talleyrand'', 1808 File:Joseph-Bonaparte.jpg, '' Portrait of Joseph Bonaparte'', 1808 File:Marie Laczinska (1789-1817) comtesse Walewska, puis comtesse d'Ornano.jpg, '' Portrait of Marie Walewska'', 1810 File:King Jerome Bonaparte.jpg, '' Portrait of Jérôme Bonaparte'', 1811 File:Charles XIV John as Crown Prince of Sweden - François Gérard.jpg, ''Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte'', 1811 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:Marie Louise Empress.jpg, '' Marie Louise, Empress of France'', 1812 File:Louis XVIII of France in Coronation Robes, by François Gérard.jpg, '' Portrait of Louis XVIII'', 1814 File:François Gérard - Napoleon I 001.JPG, '' Napoleon I as Emperor'', 1805 File:François Pascal Simon Gérard 003.jpg, '' Portrait of Juliette Récamier'', 1802 File:Portrait of Josephine de Beauharnais-Gerard.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, Princesse de Bénévent File:François Pascal Simon Gérard 002.jpg, Portrait of Hortense de Beauharnais 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'', 1810 File:Gérard - Charles-Philippe de France (1757-1836), comte d'Artois, en uniforme de colonel général des Carabiniers, vers 1815.jpg, Portrait of the

Count of Artois The count of Artois (, ) was the ruler over the County of Artois from the 9th century until the abolition of the countship by the French Revolution, French revolutionaries in 1790. House of Artois *Odalric () *Altmar () *Adelelm (?–932) *''C ...

, 1815 File:François Gérard - St Theresa (detail).jpg, Teresa of Ávila File:Entrée de HENRI IV dans Paris le 22 mars 1594.jpg, '' Entry of Henry IV into Paris'', 1817 File:Corinne au Cap Misène - Francois Gérard.jpg, '' Corinne at Cape Misenum'', 1819–1821, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon File:Charles-Ferdinand d'Artois, duc de Berry.jpg, '' Portrait of the Duke of Berry'', 1820 File:Carolina Ferdinanda Louisa van Sicilië (1798-1870). Echtgenote van Karel Ferdinand, hertog van Berry, in het park van Bagatelle in het Bois de Boulogne bij Parijs Rijksmuseum SK-C-1525.jpeg, '' Duchess of Berry'', 1820 File:Portrait of Adélaide d'Orléans "Madame Adélaide" by François Gérard (Versailles.jpg, Adelaide of Orleans, 1821 File:François Gérard - La duchesse de Berry et ses enfants,1822.jpg, ''The Duchess of Berry and Her Children'', 1822 File:Marigny after Gérard - Louis XVIII of France in the Tuileries Palace, VersaillesFXD.jpg, ''

in his Study'', 1823 File:François Gérard Daphnis and Chloe.JPG, Daphnis and Chloe, c. 1824, oil on canvas, The Detroit Institute of Arts File:Carlos X de Francia (François Gérard).jpg, '' Portrait of Charles X'', 1825 File:Zoe Talon.jpg, '' Zoé Talon and her Children'', 1825 File:François Gérard - Portrait de Maximilien-Sébastien Foy - UMMA.jpg, '' Maximilien Sébastien Foy'', 1826 File:François Gérard - The Coronation of Charles X - WGA08603.jpg, '' The Coronation of Charles X'', 1827 File:François Gérard (1770-1837) - Lord Stuart de Rothesay (1779–1845) - P.27-1987 - Victoria and Albert Museum.jpg, '' Lord Stuart de Rothesay'', 1829 File:Louis-Philippe, roi des Français.jpg, '' Portrait of Louis Phillippe I'', 1834 File:Gérard - Lecture à l'hôtel de ville de la proclamation des députés (31 juillet 1830).jpg, ''Reading of the Declaration to the Deputies'', 1836 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 for The Amulet annual, 1832. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gerard, Francois 18th-century French painters French male painters 19th-century French painters People from the Papal States 1770 births 1837 deaths Pupils of Jacques-Louis David Members of the Académie des beaux-arts Burials at Montparnasse Cemetery Painters from Paris French people of Italian descent Barons of the First French Empire Officers of the Legion of Honour 18th-century French male artists