Julius Caesar
ca. 1863
Medium
Graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
image: 7 1/16 x 5 7/8 in. (18 x 15 cm) sheet: 10 7/16 x 7 9/16 in. (26.5 x 19.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Alexander B.V. Johnson and Roberta J.M. Olson, 1993
Accession Number
1993.1130.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jean-Léon Gérôme’s graphite drawing of Julius Caesar, created around 1863, offers an intimate glimpse into the French academic artist’s approach to historical subjects. Gérôme, celebrated for his meticulously rendered scenes from antiquity and the classical world, often explored powerful figures like the Roman general and statesman. Rendered on wove paper with delicate yet precise lines, the small-scale work (roughly 7 by 6 inches) likely served as a study, allowing the artist to refine his vision of Caesar’s commanding presence before translating it into larger paintings or sculptures. The c...
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...