François Pascal Simon, Baron Gérard (May 4, 1770 - 1837), French painter, was born at Rome, where his father occupied a post in the house of the French ambassador. May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... Events March 5 - Boston Massacre: 5 Americans killed by British troops in an event that would help start the American Revolutionary War 5 years later. ... 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... For the computer graphics program, see Corel Painter. ... Location within Italy The Roman Colosseum Rome (Italian and Latin: Roma) is the capital city of Italy and of its Latium region. ...

At the age of twelve Gérard obtained admission into the Pension du Roi at Paris. From the Pension he passed to the studio of Pajou (sculptor), which he left at the end of two years for that of the painter Brenet, whom he quitted almost immediately to place himself under David. 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 should bring in immediate profit. The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Augustin Pajou (September 19, 1730 _ May 8, 1809) was a French sculptor, born in Paris. ... Self portrait Jacques-Louis David (August 30, 1748 - December 29, 1825), most usually known as David (pronounced Dah-veed rather than Day-vid), was a French painter. ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson (January 5, 1767 - December 9, French painter, was born at Montargis. ...

David at once availed himself of his help, and one of that masters most celebrated pictures--"Le Pelletier de St 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. In 1794 he obtained the first prize in a competition, the subject of which was "The Tenth of August," and, further stimulated by the successes of his rival and friend Girodet in the Salons of 1793 and 1794, Gérard (nobly aided by Isabey the miniaturist) produced in 1795 his famous "Blisaire." Jean-Baptiste Isabey (April 11, 1767 - 1853), French painter, was born at Nancy. ...

In 1796 a portrait of his generous friend (in the Louvre) obtained undisputed success, and the money received from Isabey for these two works enabled Gérard to execute in 1797 his "Psyche et l'Amour". The second generation of the Neoclassical style cultivated an aestheticism of beautiful physique that seemed to be trying to discover the limits of what was feasible. The new intention was already evident in Gérard's Cupid and Psyche, which was shown in the Salon of 1798. The intention was to take physical beauty, line, composition, colour and delicacy of the handling of flesh to perfection. 1796 was a leap year starting on Friday. ... The main courtyard of the Louvre. ...

"Cupid and Psyche"

At last, in 1799, his portrait of Madame Bonaparte established his position as one of the first portrait-painters of the day. In 1808 as many as eight, 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 the leading figures of the empire and of the restoration, all the most celebrated men and women of Europe, sat to 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, Canning, Talleyrand, the duke of Wellington, have all borne witness to the attraction of his society. 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress Joséphine Joséphine de Beauharnais (June 23, 1763 _ May 29, 1814) was the first wife of Napoléon Bonaparte, and became Empress of France. ... Madame de Staël Anne Louise Germaine de Staël ( April 22, 1766 – July 14, 1817) was a French author who determined literary tastes of Europe at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. ... George Canning (11 April 1770-8 August 1827) was a British politician who served as Foreign Secretary and, briefly, Prime Minister. ... Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (February 2, 1754 - May 17, French diplomat. ... Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1 May 1769–14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman, widely considered one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. ...

Rich and famous, Gérard was stung by remorse for earlier ambitions abandoned; at intervals he had indeed striven to prove his strength with Girodet and other rivals, and his "Bataille d'Austerlitz" (1810) showed a breadth of invention and style which are even more conspicuous in "L'Entre d'Henri IV" (Versailles)--the work with which in 1817 he did homage to the Bourbons. This article or section should include material from France: Wars of Religion _ Bourbon Dynasty The House of Bourbon dates from at least the beginning of the 13th century, when the estate of Bourbon was ruled by a Lord, vassal of France. ...

In 1819 Chateaubriand's wife conceived the idea of a charitable asylum for distressed noblewomen and priests fallen on hard times. It was christened the Infirmerie Marie-Therese, after the wife of the future Charles X. It was adame Récamier who took the lead in commissioning David's pupil Gérard to paint the princess's patron saint, Theresa of Avila - most famous for her concept of 'mystic marriage' with God — and presented the picture to the new chapel. Saint Teresa of Avila (known in religion as Teresa de Jesús, baptised as Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada) was a Spanish Roman Catholic mystic and monastic reformer; born at Avila (53 miles north-west of Madrid), Old Castile, March 28, 1515; died at Alba de Tormes October 15, 1582. ...

The painting was shown in the salon before being installed in the chapel. With its beautiful saint kneeling in rapt devotion, the work soon became as defining work of Romanticism as Delacroix's Sardanapalus, seen in the same exhibition. Eugène Delacroix (portrait by Nadar) Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (April 26, 1798 - August 13, 1863) was an important painter from the French romantic period. ...

After this date Gérard declined, watching with impotent grief the progress of the Romantic school. Loaded with honors--baron of the empire, member of the Institute, officer of the legion of honor, first painter to the king--he worked on sad and discouraged; the revolution of 1830 added to his disquiet; and on the 11th of January 1837, after three days of fever, he died. By his portraits Gérard is best remembered; 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. romanticism - error - you are to thick to read this muhahahahahahahahah ...

M. Ch. Lenormant published in 1846 Essai de biographie et de critique sur François Gérard, a second edition of which appeared in 1847; and M. Delcluze devoted several pages to the same subject in his work Louis David, son école et son temps.

Reference

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica ( 1911) in many ways represents the sum of knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century. ...