Bashi-Bazouk
1868–69
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
31 3/4 x 26 in. (80.6 x 66 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2008
Accession Number
2008.547.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jean-Léon Gérôme’s *Bashi-Bazouk* (1868–69) offers a striking portrait of an Ottoman irregular soldier, rendered with the precise realism that defined the artist’s academic style. Gérôme, a leading figure in 19th-century French painting, specialized in Orientalist subjects drawn from his travels in North Africa and the Near East. Here, the figure is shown in profile against a muted background, his elaborate costume—turban, embroidered jacket, and weapons—capturing both individuality and cultural detail. The term “bashi-bazouk,” meaning “damaged head” or undisciplined fighter, referred to auxi...
About the Artist
Jean-Léon Gérôme
Gérôme's father, a goldsmith from Vesoul, discouraged his son from studying to become a painter but agreed, reluctantly, to allow him a trial period in the studio of Paul Delaroche in Paris. He traveled and studied in Italy, elsewhere in Europe, and in Asia Minor. The subjects that he enjoyed most were scenes of nature and animals. He is best known for mythological and Comment on works: history pa...